


A Second Glance

by shinyumbreon2



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-05-14 19:24:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 51
Words: 320,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5755294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinyumbreon2/pseuds/shinyumbreon2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You may think you know Paul. A cold, heartless jerk who would always call Ash pathetic. But what if there's method to the madness? What if there are skeletons in his closet? And what if a girl, a boy, and a Pokémon could help him get rid of all of that?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just You Wait

One day had passed since Paul had that battle with Ash, or, as he liked to call him, a pathetic loser. There was just something about that kid and his upbeat attitude that pissed him off to no end. He shook his head.  _I have got to stop thinking about that_ , he thought. He grunted.  _A loss, yeah, whatever. He didn't lose, Professor Rowan said so. It was a tie and- God DAMN IT!_

He shook his head once more. He wondered if he was attracting stares from the other people in the Pokémon Center, but he seriously didn't care. Who cared about what other people thought? Unless it came to how strong of a Trainer you were, of course. And even then, only the opinion of those he thought were worthy to be considered strong could tell them their opinion and not get ignored. _Like that Loser, who does he think- oh for crying out loud!_

"Hey, Mister Twitchy?" someone piped up. "Mind cooling it? You're rocking the whole bench with your constant foot tapping." Paul opened his eyes and turned to the voice. It was a girl who looked to be about his age, which was 15, or maybe even a year younger. She had Murkrow black hair that went a little passed her shoulders and was tied up in a ponytail. She wore a red bandana that had a white Poké Ball logo on the right side, a white button-up t-shirt, a red-and-black plaid skirt, and red sneakers. On her back was a red backpack. She also sported a fingerless glove on her left hand and a very annoyed look on her face.

Paul hadn't even noticed that he was tapping his foot quickly. He stopped it and huffed a very non-meaningful, "Sorry."

"Oh, thank you for the sincerest of apologizes," the girl replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice. She rolled her hazel eyes. "You must be a riot at parties."

"I don't go to parties," Paul stated curtly, ruining the joke, though he didn't care.

"Sorry Mister Sensitive," the girl mumbled, rest her right elbow on her knee and then her head on the open palm.

"I thought it was Mister Twitchy."

"You changed when you started being a pain."

"Why are you talking to me anyway?" Paul asked, glaring at her. "You don't even know me."

"Hey, all I did was ask you to stop shaking the whole bench, and then you had to be all pissy about it."

"I don't get pissy."

"Keep telling yourself that."

The purple haired boy grunted. He wished his Pokémon would get healed already, but the whole Center was crowded. "Thanks, Nurse Joy!" a little boy cried as the lady handed him his Poké Balls. He ran out the door. Paul sighed, getting impatient.

"I know, this is boring," the girl said. "How long have you been waiting?"

Paul wondered if he should answer that. One minute they were having a spat and the next she just wanted to chat.  _Weird girl. Might as well talk, though. I've got nothing else to do._  "10 minutes."

"15," was the reply from the other Trainer. "Wonder why it's so crowed?"

"Does it matter?" Paul asked.

"Guess not." There was silence. "I would ask you to battle, but then we'd have to wait all over again."

Paul grunted, but this time out of amusement. If the girl knew him, she would feel proud. Getting any sort of amusement out of the teen was like trying to find a Ralts. "How would I know if you're even worth my time?" he asked with a smirk.

The girl gave a smirk of her own. "I've been across Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn and challenged every single gym and won every single badge."

"Doesn't mean shit if you haven't won a Pokémon League."

"I have, so don't be throwing that lame ass excuse at me."

"Where's your proof?"

"At home, proudly hanging on my wall." Then she dug through her backpack and pulled out a camera. "Or in the archives, since we can't exactly get to Saffron City from here."

Paul took the camera and turned it on. "Saffron, huh? Must be rich then."

"Hey, not every person in Saffron is a rich stuck up asshole."

The teen grunted in amusement again. "Touché," he said. "So, which picture?" The girl scooted over and went through the various pictures until she got to one where she was standing in front of three plaques hanging on her wall. Paul raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't look like any plaque of the Pokémon League that I've ever seen."

"Not familiar with the Elite Four Run?" the female Trainer asked.

Paul looked at her with slight surprise. The Elite Four Run was harder than the Pokémon League, so most people didn't participate in it. The challenge was to go through all four Elite Four members and then the champion (the Kanto League was an exception) in a row without going to a Pokémon Center.  _This girl must be incredibly tough if she won all three of these,_ Paul thought. "You know, it's not fair to go into a new region with Pokémon that have done that challenge," he noted, giving her the camera back.

"I know that!" the girl replied, putting the camera back. "They all stay at home...well, except for one."

"Haley Sedai, your Pokémon are all healed!" Nurse Joy announced.

" _Finally_!" Haley huffed, standing up. She walked over to grab her Poké Balls. Paul was curious about the Pokémon she never left behind, so he followed her. Normally, he wouldn't do so, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Oh, and you must be Paul," Nurse Joy stated as he walked up. Paul nodded. "Well, I just so happen to have your Pokémon as well." She showed him tray of four Pokémon. In his battle against Ash, he had only used two of them, but in truth he had a team of four since he had just gotten back from the Hoenn region and had decided not to give two of his Pokémon to his older brother. He bowed (he wasn't rude to authority figures, even if they did make you wait forever) and took his Pokémon back.

The girl he now knew as Haley took her party of four. "So, show me this reoccurring member," Paul insisted.

Haley smiled at him. "If I do, can I get a battle?"

"I have a reoccurring member of my own. If I think yours is good enough, I might just agree.

"Okay then." She took one of the Poké Balls and threw it up. The ball opened and the beam released an Umbreon.

The feline-looking Pokémon shook out its body. "Um-Umbre!" it cried.

Paul studied the girl's long time partner. Its muscles were well toned, looking like a runner; from the many days he had watched his brother (who was a breeder) take care of Pokémon, he could tell it was fast and light on its feet, a trait not common among others of its species, which while fast obviously not as fast as this one appeared to be. Its fur was glossy, meaning it was well feed and healthy. Its crimson eyes looked like it had seen many battles, not to mention they were calculating. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, since he never thought any Pokémon could do this, but he swore as he studied it,  _it_ was studying  _him_. And its eyes seemed to scream, "What? Do you think you're good enough?" Paul kind of reeled back from that, making Haley laugh. "Umbreon likes a challenge, don't you, Girly?"

"Um!" the Moonlight Pokémon cried, wagging her tail. Umbreon was looking at Paul again, and now her eyes said, "Come on, you're a strong trainer, right? Let's fight!" Or at least, that's how he interpreted it as. He had never read anyone's eyes before, much less a Pokémon's.

The teen had seen enough. He huffed in amusement. "Alright, I'll battle you," he decided. "You'll be taking on my Torterra."

"Ooo, so big and scary," Haley said, obviously faking it since she had a big grin on her face. "Umbreon was my first you know. She was just an Eevee when we started," she continued, boasting. Said Pokémon was wagging her tail even more.

"Like that little cat can actually do anything," he stated with a smirk on his face.

"We'll make you eat those words," Haley challenged.

The next thing they knew, both Trainers and their respective partners were out on the battlefield right behind the Pokémon Center. Apparently they had some sort of aura or atmosphere to the fight that attracted spectators. Not the Paul took notice. The only person he was focused on was his opponent on the opposite side. "Just so you know, Torterra was  _my_ first," Paul warned. "It's not to be taken likely." Torterra cried out in agreement.

"He does look pretty strong," Haley agreed. Paul raised an eyebrow. Not even he or his brother knew Torterra was male, and yet this girl could tell without blinking an eye. "But Umbreon has taken down her share of big foes, so don't think size is everything." Umbreon crouched to the ground, as if she were ready to pounce. He expected her to growl from the hunting look her eyes gave, but not one sound came from the black cat.

"Then that only means I won't hold anything back." Paul sneered. "Not that I was going to." Haley snickered. "Since you were the one who challenged me, I'll let you go first."

"Aw, I thought you would let me go first 'cause I'm a girl and you wanted to be a gentleman," she joked. Paul couldn't hold back a small smile. When Ash bantered before their battle, it was something about being friends and trust. He assumed Haley was friends with her Pokémon as well, but unlike his rival, she didn't preach it. And though the joke was corny, he had to admit it was fresh compared to the "We'll show you the real super power of teamwork!" bullshit speech every other trainer gave him. "Whatever, it's all the same to me. Umbreon, let's get this party started with a Shadow Ball!" The way her Pokémon jumped in the air made Paul believe the reason the Moonlight Pokémon had been in that crouch was because she was anticipating her Trainer calling out that move as their first.  _Like they're in perfect sync or something_. He watched as the purple ball of ghostly energy began to form in Umbreon's mouth.

Paul looked at Torterra. There was one problem with his starter: he was too big and too slow. With something as agile as Umbreon, there was no way he could dodge attacks. Of course, Paul knew this already. He had known it ever since he had evolved him the first time. So the two had come up with ways to counter the flaw: either sit back and take it, or block it with your own attack. Seeing as it was probably best to try and slow the agile feline, he decided on the latter. "Leaf Storm, let's go," he ordered with no trace of panic in his voice. Torterra's tree began to glow green, and leaves began to shoot out at their opponent. In that instance Umbreon fired, and then followed up with something Paul never expected. Without even so much as her name being called, Umbreon's eyes began to glow blue, signifying that it was using Psychic. The Leaf Storm stopped dead in its tracks, and the leaves were dropped to the floor while the Shadow Ball zoomed straight to Torterra's face. The Continent Pokémon braced himself as he took the full force of the attack. Paul, meanwhile, was stunned. "But...but..."

"Surprised?" Haley stated as Umbreon landed safely. "See, we do that all the time when someone uses Razor Leaf. It's kind of just a habit now. Girly here knows what she's doing." The black cat let out a cry.

Haley's opponent grunted. It was as if these two could read each other's minds. For a second he doubted himself, something he never,  _ever_ did when he battled. But it was only for a second. The battle was just getting started, and it wasn't like he and Torterra hadn't faced impossible odds before. Now he knew what to expect. They had played their trump card most likely, while Paul was just getting started. He smirked as Torterra easily shook off the last attack. Never one to skip a beat, Paul went on the offensive this time. "Rock Slide," was his next command. His Pokémon let out a cry, and rocks began to rain down towards the opponent.

"Dodge!" the girl responded. Umbreon jumped out of the way, not realizing it was heading straight for Torterra.

 _Perfect,_ Paul thought.  _Now, we'll take back the damage you took, if you don't mind._ "Giga Drain!" Now his Pokémon summoned green vines out of the spikes on his back.

"Shit," Haley cursed under her breath. "Faint Attack, get out of there!" The Moonlight Pokémon disappeared.

"Keep those vines alive!" Paul ordered. The vines whipped the air like crazy, trying to locate the invisible Pokémon. And then, right before Umbreon struck, Torterra caught her. "Good, now drain it!" Energy began to flow from the captive to her captor.

Haley growled. Then she noticed the leaves. "Umbreon, Psychic!" Her Pokémon didn't need to be told which objects to pick up, and with her mind sent the discarded leaves towards Torterra. Being half Ground type, it did some damage and allowed Umbreon to wiggle out of the loosening vines. She jumped back, never taking her eye off her opponent. "Faint Attack once more!" And the Pokémon disappeared again.

"Same as last time, Torterra!" But then Paul heard a "Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Honestly, never use the same trick twice in a row," she advised. Paul was about to retort with how much of a hypocrite she was when Umbreon reappeared suddenly in front of Torterra, and with an already charged Shadow Ball in her mouth. Torterra was taken by complete surprise, as was Paul. With no order again, Umbreon attacked, and this time the close range Shadow Ball did more than just faze Torterra; it made him faint. Needless to say, Paul was speechless. No other Umbreon had that much strength, and yet in basically three attacks this one took Torterra down.

This Umbreon was special.

"Nice job, Girly!" Haley celebrated. The Pokémon let out her own victory cry before running to her Trainer and jumping into her waiting arms. "So, what did you think of that, Mister Hotshot?"

 _I get new nicknames with every passing second,_ Paul noted. He let out a "hmph". "Not bad," he said. Probably the best praise anyone would get. "But I want one more battle." He got Torterra's Poké Ball and beamed him back in, then replaced that Poké Ball with a new one. "We each use a Pokémon we just got from the Sinnoh region. And I have the perfect one." He moved his arm back. "Chimchar, stand by for battle!"

He threw the Poké Ball, and out popped the Chimp Pokémon, looking determined as ever. "Chim-Chimchar!" it exclaimed.

Paul gave off an evil-looking smile. "Just as that Umbreon of yours is one of a kind," he began, "my Chimchar happens to be special. You got lucky with that pervious win, but you won't this time."

"So things are about to get heated up, huh?" Haley replied eagerly. Once again Paul couldn't hold back a smile, dropping his previous one. Her starter jumped out of her hands as she reached for a Poké Ball. "Just don't come crying to me when you can't stand my kitchen. Chimchar, time to burn down the house!" She threw the Ball, and now there were two red chimps out on the field, both looking equally determined. "Since you were such a gentleman last round, I only think it's fair as a lady to return the favor."

The boy changed his smile again, now a smirk. "Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a 'lady'," he stated.

"That, my good man, would be even more insulting."

 _This girl knows how to battle._ "Chimchar, Scratch!" he ordered, wasting no time. His Pokémon ran to the other, bearing its claws.

"Dodge!"

"Follow it!" He wasn't going to skip any beats this time, and he was taking all measures to win.

So there they were, one swiping at air as the other dodged, not easily but not too difficult either. The boy called off Scratch and went for Ember, despite the fact that it wasn't effective at all. Chimchar fired, and the other one dodged. Haley followed up with her own Ember, which Paul's Chimchar took on full force. He was left with just tiny burns but nothing major. And when his opponent ordered another Ember, Paul commanded a Flame Wheel. He hoped the opposing flame would get sucked in, which it did, and he also hoped for Blaze, which once again did not appear. Paul was getting a little agitated. Where was that Chimchar he had seen only two weeks ago? The Flame Wheel displayed was weak, at least by his standards. But to Haley it was amazing. When the wheel broke she was about to compliment how hot it burned when she noticed the unpleased look in his eye.  _Strange_ , she thought.  _Why does he look upset? Maybe it’s cause we dodged again._ Then she heard a voice.

Across the field, Paul was contemplating about whether or not to yell at Chimchar for his abysmal performance yet again when he noticed a look of confusion on the girl's face. She blinked twice, and then was whispering harshly to her own Chimchar.  _Wonder what that's about?_ Paul questioned.  _Doesn't matter._ "Chimchar, Flame Wheel again!" The chimp charged up another one and shot towards the other.

"Try and keep him at bay!" Haley exclaimed. Her Chimchar fired off another round of Ember, which Paul welcomed but at the same time did not like.  _If Chimchar decides to wimp out on me, I-_ His thoughts were cut off when Flame Wheel became bigger and stronger, and now the wheel was charging faster towards Haley's Chimchar. "Come on, dodge!"

But it was too late. The Flame Wheel, while not as strong as the one Paul had seen the first time, hit full on, sending the girl's Chimchar flying right into her arms...fainted. Paul couldn't believe it. That couldn't have been Blaze, he knew it. So...was it just by accident? Had his opponent miscalculated?  _No,_ Paul thought, frowning.  _She knows the battlefield; she was dominating it the entire time. It's like she_ wanted  _to lose but...why?_ He walked over to his Chimchar, who looked a tad confused but happy that he (once again, this girl knew the gender and Paul was now informed) had won. Paul looked down at him, and Chimchar went from a very big grin to just a plain expression. "Why'd you throw the match?" Paul asked, turning his attention to Haley.

The girl looked at him, perplexed. "Not sure I follow," she replied as she petted her now awake yet very sleepy Chimp Pokémon.

"I'm not stupid," Paul retorted. "Why did you throw the match?"

"I didn't!" Haley defended. "I don't know what you saw to think I did, but I swear I'm not lying! Why would I throw the match anyway? Not like I have anything to gain from it. Not to mention I'm not a quitter, or have these two battles blinded you to that?"

Damn it, she was right. She hadn't faltered once in her attacks. He was probably right in assuming she had miscalculated, thinking Ember would actually push the Flame Wheel back. Paul sighed. "Sorry, I get paranoid sometimes. I don't like those who just give up." He quickly eyed Chimchar, but it was so quick the only one who noticed was the target, who had trained himself for moments of harsh criticism. It was what came with the price of being on Paul's team, after all...

"I completely understand," the girl stated, smiling. "So...Paul, right?"

"Yeah. And yours was Haley, I believe."

She grinned and, shifting her Chimchar, stuck out her hand. "Good battling, Paul. You're really something else, you know." Paul looked at the extended right hand. He wasn't the type who would usually return it, but he believed this opponent deserved his respect so he extended his own right hand and shook.

"You're not a bad battler yourself," he replied. "I would take pride in that; I don't hand that compliment out often."

Haley beamed, and even the tired Pokémon in her arms managed a pretty big smile, as did the Umbreon at her feet. "Hey, we'll see you again sometime, right?" she asked.

Silence. "...Perhaps."

"Good enough for me. Come on, Chimchar, I feed you some Oran Berries and then we can be on our way. I am  _not_ waiting again." Chimchar nodded, and with a wave and a "See you later!" the girl and her Pokémon walked off. When they were a good distance away, Paul noticed Haley and her Chimchar looked at each other and shared a triumphant smile. He saw her lips move. He wasn't good at lip reading, but those four words were so etched into his brain that he could easily tell what she said.

"He fell for it."

His eyes widened. She  _had_ thrown the match; that whispering must have been a quick plan ordered to do so, but for what purpose?  _Why did she throw the match?_ That question kept ringing, and it was so God damn loud. And it hurt that she blatantly lied to his face about it. He felt sick, betrayed, and most of all confused. Chimchar looked up at his Trainer. He met the Pokémon's eyes and crossed his arms. "What, you expect praise?" he lectured. "You got lucky,  _again_. It's obvious we have to work harder on you." He narrowed his eyes as the girl disappeared into the city. "And we're going to find out about the reason behind her actions." He growled. "Haley Sedai, I  _will_ find out those motives."

"Just you wait."


	2. We Could Be Partners

It was probably late afternoon. The sun would start to disappear behind the mountains soon. But Paul wasn't really concerned with time. He was just glad to be out of Bewilder Forest, probably one of the most annoying places the planet could produce. At least he got an Ursaring out of the whole thing. Didn't change the fact that he also ran into Ash again, who didn't just want to preach friendship and teamwork like  _everyone else_ , but now he was also insisting that the two of them become buddy-buddy.  _Like that's ever going to happen,_ Paul grunted. He kept walking down the path towards Oreburgh City, and then, off the beaten path, he heard someone singing. He also saw smoke. Someone had obviously set up camp a little ways in. Normally, he'd keep going without a second thought, but the voice sounded oddly familiar, so he hiked into the forest.

Not far from the path, he found Haley setting up a small camp and preparing dinner, singing to herself.

_There's a place I know, it's always jumping._

_I'm thinking we should go and leave our worries._

_You got a friend in me, and I'll tell you something:_

_This time can be extraordinary!_

"You have a good voice," Paul said, making Haley jump. Of course, that was his intention. He couldn't help but smile at the reaction.

"Holy shit, Paul!" Haley replied. "Not cool, man!" She sighed. "Well, it's nice seeing you again. What's up?"

 _What's up is that I want to know why you lied to my face,_ Paul thought, frowning internally. But he couldn't ask. He had gone over multiple conversations about the topic in his head, but every one of them he thought of some way she would counter. So he came up with a different idea, and it started with writing down what had happened and what he would ask when he got enough evidence to finally call her out. Instead, he answered with, "I was walking when I heard singing and saw a campfire. Thought I would check it out. And then I saw you, so I decided to scare you." He smirked to emphasize.

"So I noticed," the Trainer stated dryly. "Since you're here, you want to stay and have dinner? It'll be ready in a few minutes."

Paul shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do," he informed and walked into the small clearing. "Need help?"

"I'm making Pokémon food for my team. If you want to help me make some, that would be helpful. I can even make some for your team, if that's okay."

Another shrug. "Sure." When Haley asked for him to grab a berry out of her backpack, he went to get it. "So are you a Breeder?"

"Nah, but my Uncle is," she explained. "He taught me the basics so that I could always have a strong, healthy team."

"What's his name?" Paul asked with the Oran and Pecha berries in hand.

"Ted Stewart. He's my mom's older brother." She took the berries and began to grind them up.

"I think I've heard of him."

"How?"

"My brother. He's a Breeder as well." Haley looked at him but her hands were still working. "His name is Reggie."

Haley repeated the name quietly. "Oh yeah, now I remember!" she exclaimed. "He used to visit my uncle frequently. He was also a Trainer, right?"

Paul quickly walked towards the pot to check if their food needed attention. "Yeah, he was..." he mumbled.

"You don't seem too happy about that."

"More like I'm not happy about how he left the battling scene." He huffed. "I don't want to talk about it," he added, thinking she wanted more of an explanation.

"I wasn't going to ask." He turned around, surprised. "What? It obviously bothers you, so unless you wanted to, I wasn't going to pry."

"I see." Paul rubbed the ground with his foot. "Did you ever meet him?"

"Once or twice," she answered. "Hey, do you have any extra bowls for your team? I recently filled my roster so I don't think I have enough for both of our teams."

"Yeah, I have a few." He knelt down and opened his bag.

"Anyway, he was a pretty energetic guy," Haley continued. "Liked to talk and he rarely had a frown on his face. Totally the opposite of you."

Paul chuckled. "What, you think I didn't notice that?"

Haley laughed. "I just had to point it out. It's like when someone sees a tall person and they just have to go, 'Gosh, you are so tall!’ as if said person didn't already know that." Paul chuckled again. "And I'm not saying that you guys being opposite is a bad thing. I actually think you're a pretty cool guy."

The boy zipped his bag and threw it next to the log where Haley's backpack was resting. "You think so?"

"Well, I don't know you all that well, but my first impressions of you say that you are." She sniffed. "Think you can stir?"

"Got it." He took the ladle and circled it around. Then he heard one of the Pokémon coming out of its Poké Ball. Suddenly he was tackled. Luckily the ladle didn't fall out, but he was still on the ground, with Umbreon on his chest. "What the-"

Haley laughed. "Aw, are you excited to see him?" she sang. Umbreon's tail wagged, and her Trainer laughed again. "She missed you, you know. She hasn't had a battle that fun with a normal Trainer for quite a while."

"Um, Um!" the Moonlight Pokémon barked in agreement.

Paul sighed, though strangely he was a little happy. "That's nice and all, but can she get off my chest?" he asked. With that Umbreon jumped off, allowing Paul to sit back up and dust off his jacket.

A few minutes later, everything was ready. "'Kay, gang, dinner's ready!" Haley exclaimed as she threw five Poké Balls in the air. They popped open, and out came Chimchar, a Piplup, a Shinx, a Starly, and a Turtwig. Looking at the Tiny Leaf Pokémon reminded him of his earlier battle, and then Ash's lectures rang through his head. His left eye twitched. "Oh what, are my Pokémon not good enough for you?"

"What? Oh, sorry. No, it has nothing to do with you. I was thinking of someone else."

"Mind telling me? After we get everyone out here and eating, of course."

"Sure." Unlike most Trainers, Paul didn't say anything or throw all of his Pokémon out at once when it was time to eat, especially if the space was small. He had to find a place for Torterra to be without crushing anyone. When all of his Pokémon were out, Haley began passing out food, with Umbreon's Psychic to help.

Haley walked over to Torterra and Chimchar. "I didn't get the chance the other day, but thanks to both of you for a pretty good battle."

"Tor," Torterra replied and went to eating.

Chimchar didn't say anything. He looked at Paul, who only stared back at him. Thanks to Paul's rising suspicion of Haley's actions, Chimchar was worked a little harder than normal. Now Chimchar looked back and nodded. "Chim," he thanked and quietly went to eating as well.

Haley smiled, but Paul could have sworn it looked fake. He wasn't sure, though. "Well, shall we eat ourselves?" she asked, standing up. Paul nodded. "I'm actually really glad you're here," she continued as she got the bowls. "I always make extra, and then I have it for breakfast, sometimes even lunch the next day."

"Well at least that way you don't have to waste extra supplies."

"Good point." With bowls filled they sat on the log. Haley observed Paul's Pokémon. "So besides those two, you have an Elekid, an Ursaring, a Murkrow, and an Azumarill. Not bad."

"I just got Ursaring today, and Azumarill only yesterday."

"Oh yeah, what happened today?"

Paul huffed. "There's this really bratty Trainer who's always super upbeat and optimistic, like he thinks nothing in the world could go wrong. He's 10 years at least, 13 years at most. We've only met twice, but both times it's been the same thing. Friendship this, trust that."

Haley thought. "Kind of sounds like Reggie," she noted.

"Too much like him, maybe even worse," Paul added. "Not mention he insists on holding on to useless Pokémon, like that Turtwig of his."

"Ah, now I get it," Haley said, taking a spoonful and swallowing. "Mine triggered the memory."

"Exactly," the boy stated. "It wouldn't listen to a word he said, not to mention it was battling Chimchar,  _and_ his little antics attracted this trio of losers who sent us straight into Bewilder Forest."

Haley groaned. "It took me  _hours_ to get through that forsaken forest yesterday! All of those Stantler I luckily avoided, and the annoying ass Beedrill, and then there was this one Ursaring that-" She stopped and eyed Paul's, who was now eyeing her. She pointed. "That...that wouldn't happen to be-"

"So, what complaints were you going to make about  _my_ Ursaring that I caught in  _Bewilder Forest_ ," he stated with a shit-eating grin.

"N-not important," Haley retracted. "That place was still stupid, though. So anyway, did you win or what?"

"We finally got out of that forest and resumed since that trio left. The Turtwig listened the second time by some miracle, but we still won because he decided to jump into the hole Chimchar had made using Dig."

"And then you used Ember?" It was phrased like a question, but sounded more like she was looking for confirmation.

"Yep." Paul sighed. "And what's even more annoying about that kid is that he wants us to become friends."

The girl was thinking again. "I don't see harm in that," she voiced.

"Except that I find him annoying."

"So I've heard," Haley chuckled. She finished the last of her food. "Anything else worth mentioning?"

"He has this Pikachu that knows Volt Tackle, but in all honesty, even though its his strongest it's still not all that impressive."

"Hmm..." Haley looked over at Elekid. "He seems riled up."

"Those two have a rivalry of their own, I guess." He looked at Elekid as well. "Though, Elekid is stronger."

Haley shrugged. "I'd have to see it to judge." She stretched. "Well, I can see this conversation is getting on your nerves, so why don't we drop it."

 _Was it...written on my face?_ Paul thought, surprised.  _I was only thinking that. I didn't say or do anything. How does this girl..._  "Yeah," he replied. "Are you heading Oreburgh?"

At the mention of the city, Piplup ran over and started chirping its head off. "Pip-Pip-Pip-Pip-Pip-"

Its Trainer laughed. "Alright, alright, Piplup, you're excited, I know!" She petted the Pokémon's head to calm it down. "Every time that city or the gym is mentioned, Piplup just goes nuts! He really wants to partake in the Gym Battle."

Paul huffed in amusement. "Well, it is a Rock-type Gym, so he would be a good choice."

"Pip-lup!" the Penguin Pokémon replied, puffing out his chest.

The boy could literally see a sweat drop form. "Please don't stroke his ego," Haley begged.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"So who are you going to use? I was actually planning on Turtwig and Chimchar. Hopefully he evolves before then."

Paul thought about the team of three he would use. "Azumarill definitely," he began. "Elekid-"

"But that's just asking for trouble!" Haley exclaimed.

"He knows Brick Break," Paul informed. Haley had one of those "Ooh" moments. "And Static will come in handy as well. The last one is tricky, though. If it weren't the first gym, I would use Torterra, but that would just be overkill."

Haley scanned the six Pokémon. "Why not Chimchar?" she suggested. Paul looked at her, and Chimchar looked a little frightened. Haley looked at the chimp. "You know Dig, not to mention you're fast. I think you could beat a Geodude. Maybe even an Onix."

"But not Roark's Cranidos," Paul said. Haley looked at him, confused. "You've never heard of one?"

"Well,  _excuse_  me for living in Kanto!" she cried sarcastically, throwing her hands up. "I bet  _you_  didn't know what a Dratini was until  _you_ saw one!"

"Touché," Paul said to her. "Anyway, it's a pure Rock type and has alright defenses and is fast too."

"Doesn't hurt to at least try. You  _do_ want Chimchar to get stronger, right?" Paul was surprised. He had never said anything about that. Well... _true_ , everyone wanted their Pokémon to be strong, but he suspected no one wanted it as badly as he wanted it for Chimchar.  _Blaze, I just want to see that Blaze again._  "This is a chance," Haley continued. "At least think about it."

Paul already was. "Yeah, I think I will."

Clean up was quick, and by the time they were done the light from the sun was starting to fade. "Stupid mountains for obstructing a beautiful sunset," Haley mumbled.

"We missed it anyway while we were eating," Paul pointed out.

"True." It was just the two of them and Umbreon in the clearing now. The Moonlight Pokémon was curled at Haley's feet as the humans watched the colors fade from their purple and oranges to a navy blue that would soon turn black and be filled with millions of white specks. "Hey Paul," Haley piped up after some silence, "do you ever get lonely?"

"No," he admitted. There was silence. He had a feeling of what he was trying to ask.

Perfect.

Because that was step two in his plan to finding her motives.

"But I wouldn't mind company."

"Really?"

Paul looked at her. He stuck out his right hand. "Partners?"

Haley grabbed it. "Partners."

...

A week had passed. Paul still wasn't use to the whole traveling-with-someone-else thing, but he was getting the hang of it. And Haley never pushed him to learn any faster. She never spoke to him if he didn't feel like talking and she rarely started the conversation since Paul wasn't use to that, either. But they did talk. He learned that she got Chimchar from Professor Rowan, Shinx was the first Pokémon she caught with Starly soon to follow, and by luck she happened to come across a wild Turtwig, which was very rare. "And a few days ago Uncle sent Piplup over, saying he needed a good Trainer and thought I fit the bill," she explained. Then she mumbled, "Doesn't mean he's not a pain in the ass sometimes."

Paul smiled. He found himself doing that more often as of late. "How is it that you know the genders just by looking at them?" he asked.

"Uncle taught me," she said.

"Look just because he's a Breeder doesn't mean anything. Reggie can't tell unless he asks and gets a nod or a shake."

"My uncle has a sharp eye," Haley continued. "He said I inherited that. Not everyone can do it." Paul dropped the subject.

They finally got through the tunnel that led to Oreburgh City. Paul watched as the girl scanned the city, probably looking for the gym. "Just follow me," he said, taking the lead.

The duo walked through the city, and they stopped in front of a building that looked like a plateau. "How...original," Haley stated. Paul rolled his eyes. "At least it fits." They walked to the door and entered. A man was standing behind the counter. He looked up when they walked in and offered a smile.

"Ah, and what can I do for you two?" the man asked.

"We're here for a gym challenge," Paul said, getting to the point.

"Both of you?" They nodded. "Well, unfortunately, Roark isn't here right now. He's working at the mines and probably won't be here until later today."

Paul grunted. He hated when Leaders were more preoccupied in their hobbies rather than their jobs. "Guess we'll just come back later," Haley stated. "Hey, Paul, we need to figure out-"

"You can go first, I don't care," Paul interrupted as he headed for the door.

"Always the anti-social," the girl replied, hands behind her head, as she followed. The automatic doors opened, revealing another Trainer standing there. He looked shocked as the partners stepped outside.

"Whoa, it's Paul!" the boy exclaimed.

 _Great, just fucking great,_ Paul thought. "Do I know you?" he said aloud. Haley had to hold back a chuckle, instead keeping the straight look that was on her face. Hearing the other voice, the man walked outside as well.

"Paul, are these friends of yours?" he asked.

"No way," the boy responded quickly, as if he already knew the question and had prepared an answer beforehand.

"You must have just fought a battle," the new Trainer stated.  _Oh, so because I_ walk  _out of a gym that means I battled?_ Paul scoffed. _Give me a break._ "Get a badge?"

Haley was about to answer but was quickly cut off. "Actually, that's none of your business," Paul answered.

The boy looked confused before the man said, "I'll bet you're here for a gym battle, too," he noted.

"Y-yeah," the boy stuttered. "M-my name's Ash and I'm from Pallet Town. This is going to be my first battle in Sinnoh. It's great to be here."

"Pikachu," the Pikachu on his shoulder agreed.

"Say, that's quite a long trip, all the way from Kanto," the man said. "Welcome to the temple of Rock Pokémon, the Oreburgh Gym."

"This is a gym for Rock Pokémon?" Ash asked.

Paul couldn't believe that. " _Duh_ ," he said. And to that, Haley couldn't hold back a chuckle, though she tried.

"And what's so funny?" the only other girl asked.

"Hey, no need to get testy," Haley defended, smiling.

"Anyway, you've got it," the man told Ash. "And our Gym Leader's name is Roark."

Ash came to a realization. "Wait, then that must mean you're not the Gym Leader," he figured. Paul had to resist smacking some sense into this guy.

"I take care of the Pokémon here," the man explained. "The name's Ian, and Roark's not here at the moment. I'm sure you'll be able to have a battle with Roark once Paul and..." Ian felt awkward for not asking the name of the girl, and even more awkward when he realized the only reason he knew Paul's was because the other challengers had said it.

"Haley," the girl answered him.

"Right, sorry. Once Paul and Haley finish theirs."

"Sounds great!" Ash exclaimed, not bummed out in the slightest.

 _Well with this pointless conversation out of the way..._ "So until Roark gets back, we'll be at the Pokémon Center," Paul informed. He bowed quickly and began to walk off, with Haley ready to follow him.

"Hey Paul!" Ash called after him. Haley stopped. "You better give it everything you've got!" Now Paul stopped.

"Well actually, I go first," Haley stated, finally getting something in that was useful to the conversation.

"So Paul wanted to be a gentleman, huh?" the other girl joked.

Paul didn't say a word. He let Haley do all the talking. "No, I forced him," Haley lied. Paul gave off a tiny smile, but no one noticed.

The girl blinked. "Oh," she said. "Well...I'm impressed."

"Why?"

"Paul is stubborn like a Tauros."

The mentioned teen twitched his eye.  _Did that girl really just-_ "And you would know that because...?"

"And you think you know him better?" the girl questioned. "We've met him twice."

"Good for you, I've been with him all week," Haley retorted calmly. Now the party of three was really confused. "Look, it's not any of your business, nor is it your place to judge. So unless you've got anything to say that I actually care about, I think we'll go."

"Actually, I have a question," the other male in their group stated. "Might you have an Eevee?"

"Well, she's an Umbreon now, but yeah, I did." Haley looked at him. "Why? Do you know me from somewhere?"

"Yeah Brock, do you really know her?" the girl asked.

Haley blinked. "Oh, Brock? As in, Pewter City's Gym Leader Brock?" she asked.

"It's been a while," Brock greeted with a smile.  _I didn't even know he_ was  _a Gym Leader,_ Paul thought.  _Let's see, who did I actually fight? ... I think his name was Flint? Yeah, that was it. He did say something about taking over from his son...huh._

"I can't believe you even remember me!" Haley replied in surprise but with a smile as well.

The girl in the group looked at her friend. "How  _do_ you remember her?" she asked, both curious and suspicious.

"She was just a new Trainer, but her talents were amazing," Brock explained. "Her Eevee came really close to beating Geodude. To be honest even though she fainted, I was amazed at how she managed to fight for so long. Then Haley brought out her Squirtle and she wiped the floor with me." Ash looked sheepish, and Haley guessed his battle probably didn't go over so well. "And now you're here in Sinnoh," the former Gym Leader continued, his attention back on Haley. "Would you mind if we watch later today? I would like to see how you've grown."

Haley grinned. "Well...okay," she said, giggling. Paul was a little peeved but then again, it was  _her_ battle. She could choose who watched and who didn't. "Just so you know, Umbreon won't be participating, but I guess you can see my skills as a Trainer."

"That's fine by me," Brock said.

"Guess we'll see you later, then," Haley called happily before she and Paul walked off to the Pokémon Center.

"Did you really have to invite them?" Paul asked when they were out of earshot.

"Look, Brock's someone I respect," Haley told him. "And I didn't want to be rude. Though, I can see why that Ash kid annoys you. He's a little too upbeat and cheery and he's totally oblivious."

Paul decided to reuse his earlier response. " _Duh_ ," he stated, though this time there was a smile on his face.

Haley laughed. "Do you even see your face right now?" she asked. "It's hilarious. Not to mention the way you say it." She laughed again.

"Honestly, though, how did he not know it was a Rock type gym?" he questioned, going back to his stoic face. "He couldn't tell just by the exterior? Didn't do  _any_ research?"

"He doesn't look like the researching type."

Her partner snickered. "Right."

So the two waited at the Pokémon Center. Haley and Paul had their Pokémon healed up, and then the girl sat in the chair at the desk in their shared room to form a strategy. She was lost in thought, and Paul found her face somewhat amusing. And it became more amusing when she placed her feet at the edge of the desk and started rocking the chair back and forth. It stopped being amusing, however, when she pushed too far. "H-hey!" she exclaimed. The chair fell back, and she crashed onto the floor.

Paul cringed and stood up. "You all right?" he asked.

Haley grunted, rolling out of the fallen chair. "Yeah, just a little sore," she reported before picking herself up. "But! It  _did_ help clear my head! I think I know how I'm going to do this!"

"You are one of the strangest people I've met," Paul said before sitting back on his bed.

"I take that as a compliment, thank you," Haley replied. Paul smirked. He didn't want to hear her strategy, though; he wanted to  _see_ it. And Haley didn't say a word.

Around 12:30, the two walked back into the lobby, wanting to walk around. "Oh, Haley!" Nurse Joy called as she ran over. Both teens looked at her as the woman caught up with them. "Ian called. He said Roark just returned."

"Sweet!" Haley exclaimed. "I am  _so_ ready for this! Paul, are you going to stay or come and watch?"

Paul smirked. "Hmph. Don't think those three are going to keep me away," he replied.

"Good!"

With her Pokémon healed and herself full of determination and energy, she and Paul made their way back. The automatic doors opened for them. "Oh, there's Haley," Ian said as the doors closed. "She's your first challenger." The older teen with the hard hat turned around, as did Ash and his friends. "And the boy next to her is Paul, your second, though I assume you'll battle him tomorrow." Ash locked angry eyes with Paul, who returned with just his same I-give-no-fucks glance before looking at the Gym Leader.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Roark said, walking up to the duo. Though he figured they knew, he decided to introduce himself anyway. "I'm Roark, the Gym Leader. It's nice to meet you."

"The same here," both of them replied.

"So why don't we get started, then?" Roark insisted.

"Of course!" Haley exclaimed. Her body was tingling with excitement. Man, she loved gym battles! They made your heart race and got your blood flowing and she felt like every sense in her body was heightened. Roark walked off, presumably towards the battlefield, with Haley and Paul tagging behind them.

"Can't wait to see a gym battle!" the girl in Ash's group exclaimed.

Everyone (excluding Paul since he didn't care) turned to her in surprise. "You've  _never_ seen one?" Roark asked.

"No!" she replied with a smile. "And hearing about how good of a rookie Trainer Haley was, I'm even  _more_ excited! I want to learn everything about them that I can!"

"Well, that's fine by me," Roark said. "Hey-"

"They already know my answer, it's totally cool," Haley stated. Then she eyed Paul, wanting absolute confirmation that he was okay.

Paul looked back at the group. "No prob," he told everyone. Then he began to walk off. "I really couldn't care less."

They walked onto the battlefield. The spectators went to the bleachers, Ian took to the referee platform, and the battlers took their sides. The ceiling opened up to let in the sunlight and illuminate the rocky battlefield. The girl, who in their short walk Haley had learned her name was Dawn, was scanning the Gym with eager eyes. Brock, meanwhile, was explaining that all Gyms were different, and that this one obviously had Rock type Pokémon in mind. Ash and Paul were both silent, since all Ash could think about was how awesome this battle might be, and Paul just had nothing to say. "The Oreburgh City Gym battle between Haley the challenger and Roark the Gym Leader is about to get under way!" Ian announced. "The battle will be a 3-on-3, and when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue the challenge will be over! In addition, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon!"

"Hey guys, ready to see me rock this place?" Haley joked.

"You have  _got_ to stop with the puns," Paul stated, rolling his eyes.

"It's what I do!" his partner replied.

Roark smiled. He liked challengers that had a sense of humor and didn't let their nervousness and/or excitement get the better of them. But what he loved even better, and what Haley was demonstrating, was the serious look they gave in their eyes when those five words were uttered.

"Now let the battle begin!"


	3. Something's Up My Sleeve

With determination in their eyes, both battlers threw the Poké Balls, and in beams of light they appeared on the field.

Roark's first Pokémon: Geodude.

Haley's first Pokémon: Monferno.

Just looking at the field, Paul had a slight idea of what Haley's plan would be. Rock types were weak to Fighting type moves, yet they had high physical defense. Monferno was probably going to be used to whittle away as much strength as he could with Mach Punch. That move increased his speed when he used it, doubling his already incredible speed. Paul liked watching the days when Haley's Chimchar was training his speed, more so after he had evolved.

Now it was time to put all of that to the test.

Haley made no hesitations in calling out the first attack, and as Paul predicted, it was Mach Punch. Monferno's hand glowed white and with a powerful push from his legs sprang at the Rock Pokémon. He was so fast he landed a clean punch without any resistance since the attack was too fast for Roark to even counter. But after Geodude quickly recovered, Roark quickly commanded his own move. "Use Rollout!" Geodude spun, almost looking like a wheel of a racecar, and flew at its opponent.

"Mach Punch!" Haley ordered. The right hand glowed white again, but instead of attacking Geodude head-on, Monferno punched the ground, disturbing the already rocky terrain. The disturbance caused Geodude to be launched into the air uncontrollably, and in that instance Haley call Monferno back. "Turtwig, let's move it!" She threw the Poké Ball, and as soon as Turtwig popped out, he knew what to do. Seeing the Rock-Ground type up in the air, just now curling out of its uncontrollable spin, Turtwig swung his head left, and launched a Razor Leaf. The attack landed a direct hit, and being quadruple effective and already weakened, Geodude came crashing down, fainted.

"Geodude is unable to battle," Ian declared. "Which means Turtwig is the winner!"

Roark couldn't help but marvel. He took out Geodude's Poké Ball. "Good job, buddy," he muttered to himself, smiling. He recalled it. "I'm impressed," he stated to Haley. "You used Monferno's speed to halt my Geodude's, and then went for his weakness when he couldn't defend himself."

"I like catching my opponents off guard," Haley replied as she recalled her Tiny Leaf Pokémon.  _That's true,_ Paul recalled.  _She loved throwing surprises my way and doing something unexpected...but that still doesn't explain...no, this isn't the time for that._ He watched as Haley brought Monferno back out.  _So he really is there just as bait,_ Paul concluded.  _But can she pull it off a second time? And if she does, can she pull it off a third?_

"So you're trying the same thing?" Roark questioned. "I welcome you to try, but I don't know how well it will work this time. Onix, let's go!" He threw out another Poké Ball, and out of the beam of light emerged the Rock Snake Pokémon, letting out a mighty roar.

"Monferno, use Leer!" Haley ordered, trying to lower her opponent's defenses.

But Roark had a counter to that. "Screech!" Onix opened its mouth, and sound waves came out, disrupting Monferno and causing him to put hands up to his ears. Haley had to do the same, and Paul found that very strange. At most a Screech would cause a human to be pushed back by the power, but the actual sound was only something a Pokémon could hear. Or...maybe humans could. He had never been on the receiving end of a Screech, and maybe someone with sensitive ears could have slight irritation. His curiosity declined, replaced with the thought of,  _So now what?_ "Stealth Rock!" Roark ordered next.

Haley flinched. "Monferno, Mach Punch, quickly!" Shaking the Screech off, Monferno followed orders and hit Onix in the face. "Keep going! Don't let him pull off that attack!" The playful chimp, now completely serious, landed punch after punch after punch, in hopes of making his opponent faint before he could pull off Stealth Rock.

"Grab it by your tail, Onix!" Roark shouted. The rock snake lashed his tail at Monferno, getting him in a bind and squeezing him.

"Try to break free, and quick!"

But it was too late for that. Roark had already ordered the attack, and now rocks had sunk into the battlefield. "Now, how do you plan on continuing your little strategy if your Pokémon get hurt each time they're sent in?" Roark asked.

At the same time Monferno finally wiggled one of his arms out and punched, making Onix release him and jumped back, never taking his eyes off of his opponent. Haley, meanwhile, was thinking if she really should continue. Monferno looked back at her, but in a way where he could still see Onix out of the corner of his eye. "Mon-Monfer," he told her, nodding his head.

Haley stared at him, and then nodded as well, taking out his Poké Ball. "We'll still take the chance!" she announced, causing everyone to be shocked. Everyone except Paul, who smirked at her bravery. "You've only caused a set back, Roark, and my Pokémon and I have dealt with set backs before. Besides..." She smiled. "No pain no gain, right?"

Roark got over his shock and chuckled a little as she recalled the chimp again. "You have guts," he stated. "That, along with those tricks of yours and your trust towards your Pokémon...I can see how you've come so far."

"And we're only going to go farther!" Haley exclaimed. "Piplup, time to shine!" She threw the Poké Ball, and out came the proud little Pokémon.

"Pip-lup!" he cried, puffing his chest. Of course, Stealth Rock took effect, and soon unavoidable stones flew at him. "Pip-Pip-lup!" The stones crashed into him, and then disappeared a second later.

"Come on, Piplup, shake it off!" Haley encouraged. "That was nothing!" The penguin shook his body, and raised a fin, signaling he was ready. "Good!"

"Onix, use Slam!" With great speed, Onix lunged towards Piplup and went to slam down his tail.

"On his back!" Piplup dodged the tail, and then used the rocks that were flying as platforms to jump onto Onix's back. "Bubble!"

"Shake it off!" But Piplup was quicker and unleashed water bubbles from his mouth, causing Onix to wiggle in pain, and then slump to the floor, fainted.

"Onix is unable to battle, which mean Piplup is the winner!"

As Haley expected, that stroked her Pokémon's ego, and he puffed his chest out. "Just because you won buddy, doesn't mean this is over," she told him. Piplup blinked, and then looked down at the ground. "Now come on back." Piplup began to argue with her. "This is not a debatable issue, you piece of fluff!" Paul had to let out a chuckle.

"Jeez, and I thought  _my_ Piplup was a pain," Dawn mumbled. The group watched as Haley recalled the proud penguin, ignoring his protests.

"But still, her Pokémon are awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "Don't you think so, Paul?"

For once, Paul had to agree. There was a difference between battling and watching, and the show he was watching was quite the spectacle. Still, he didn't want to admit that he agreed, so he simply shrugged. "She's okay, I guess," he said.

"That's all?!" Ash yelled. "But she's your friend!"

"Who ever said we were friends?" Paul replied. And in a way that was true. Not even he or Haley knew what to call their relationship. Partners? Acquaintances? He didn't know. "Our relationship is none of your business anyway, so why don't you just shut up and watch?" Paul heard his rival growl, but he paid no mind.

Out on the field, Roark was calling out his final Pokémon. "Cranidos, you're up!" he exclaimed and threw its Poké Ball. Haley's new opponent popped out and let out a cry.

"This is it," she muttered. She clutched Monferno's Poké Ball, as if it were her lifeline. "Monferno, time to shine once more!" she shouted. Monferno was once again on the battlefield, and immediately tensed up when the rocks hit him. Being in two battles already, Monferno was a little tired, but he wanted to keep going. He wanted to fight. And Haley wasted no time in letting him. "Mach Punch, and to his knees!" she ordered. Monferno flew.

"Zen Headbutt!" Cranidos charged.

Haley let out a squeak. "Keep that Mach Punch up, but start dodging!" Monferno began jumping all over, using the extra speed to help evade the opponent that just wouldn't give up.  _Come on, look for an opening...THERE!_ Monferno lunged and punched, but Cranidos moved to the side, only getting its torso nicked.  _NO!_ Yet there was nothing the challenger's side could do. Cranidos' shining head slammed down onto Monferno, and when the chimp bounced back up from the impact, his opponent head butted him again, sending him flying right towards the bleachers. Paul stood up and stabled himself, catching the flying chimp and looked down at him.

Haley's first Pokémon had fainted.

"Monferno is unable to battle, which means Cranidos is the winner!"

The girl ran to the bleachers, calling Monferno's name. Paul, with a slight pain in his chest, managed to get to the first row and hop down onto the floor. At this point, Monferno woke up. "Nice to see you awake, buddy," Haley said softly. Monferno gave a weak smile and nodded slowly.

Paul gave off a tiny smile. "You were quite the trooper," he said so quietly only the three of them heard it.

"He's right. Now get some rest." Haley took out his Poké Ball and summoned him back in. "Thanks for the catch."

Her partner nodded. Then he walked past her so he could get back to the stairs. "I hope you plan on continuing rather than just standing there," he stated.

Haley smiled. "Like I would give up just like that." Paul smirked.

Back on her side, Haley sent out Turtwig again. Stealth Rock activated once more, but the Grass type wasted no time, immediately using Razor Leaf after the rocks disappeared. Roark decided to pull out a surprise of his own. "Flamethrower!" he announced.

"What?!" all five of the kids exclaimed. Not even Paul knew this. Cranidos released a flame from its mouth and scorched not only the leaves but also the poor unsuspecting Turtwig. He braced himself, but that could do so much against a super effective move, and it didn't prevent the nasty side effect: burn.

With her Pokémon now getting whittled away by the burn, she decided to use the little time she had left wisely. "Absorb!" she ordered. It was pointless to get that health back; it would almost instantly be taken away, but Haley just wanted to weaken Cranidos as much as possible. A red beam shot from Turtwig's leaf and hit his opponent, and some of Cranidos' energy was transferred to the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. But as soon as that was done, burn took effect again, undoing the attack. And right after burn was done, Cranidos charged in with a Headbutt and sent Turtwig flying past Haley. He hit the wall and fell to the floor.

Pokémon number 2 was down and out.

Haley grunted as she recalled her fainted Pokémon as Ian called out Cranidos as the winner again. She swapped Turtwig's Poké Ball for Piplup's and sighed. "He's going to boast about this, I know it," she mumbled. "But I don't want to lose just so he doesn't." She inhaled and then let it go. "Okay Piplup, time to shine again!" The penguin was out once more, and he cried out again as Stealth Rock activated for the last time.

Both sides had one Pokémon left.

"Cranidos, Headbutt!" Roark ordered.

"Dodge, Piplup!" Haley shouted.

The proud penguin jumped out of the way of Cranidos' charges. Haley's opponent also swiped his claws at Piplup in between Headbutts. The blue Pokémon was just quick enough to barely dodge the ferocious attacks. He even got a small scratch but didn't dare let the slight stinging sensation slow him down. Then Piplup jumped behind a two-foot tall and three-foot thick rock. But Roark wasn't fazed by such an action. "Destroy it!" he shouted. Cranidos smashed the rock, lifted his head, and then suddenly everything went into slow motion for the Rock type. He looked at Piplup, who was standing there with his fins stretched out, smirking, as the shattered remains of the rock fell. Cranidos' eyes widened.

This had all been planned.

"Freeze!" Haley ordered. Piplup opened his beak and flapped his fins, and a cold wind carrying beautiful sparkling blue snow followed, but Cranidos knew that the beauty hid something dangerous. He braced himself as he was hit by the blast. Soon, the wind subsided, but left a now shivering and slowed down Cranidos in its wake.

Roark was shocked. "Was that-"

"Icy Wind!" his challenger boasted. "I forgot to mention, this Piplup was bred by my uncle, so he has moves you wouldn't normally see on a Piplup. It's great for me!" She giggled. Then she gave off a slightly evil grin and her face darkened. "Terrible for you," she continued hauntingly. "Looks like Cranidos won't be speeding off any time soon."

Paul had to admit, he was impressed. This girl was just pulling surprises seemingly out of thin air. He was glad he had decided to tag along with her; she was fun to watch.

"Shake it off, buddy!" Roark encouraged.

Haley snickered. "Oh he can shake all the ice off he wants," she retorted as Cranidos did just that. "But the result is the same. His speed has been lowered, and now I say it's our turn to take the offensive. Piplup, close range Bubble!"

"Get away!" the Gym Leader called. Cranidos began to jump away, never taking his eyes off of Piplup, who was shooting an endless stream of bubbles. But his decrease in speed allowed Piplup to get closer than he had liked, and Cranidos was so focused on the penguin that he didn't notice the rock come up fast. He smashed into it, and before he could recover he was hit with what Haley had ordered: a close range Bubble attack. And when the bubbles disappeared...well...what do you think happens when a weakened Rock type gets hit dead on with a Water type attack?

"Cranidos is unable to battle," Ian stated. "Which means the winner is Piplup!" The referee's left hand pointed at Haley. "And the victor is Haley!"

"What else did you expect?" Haley asked, though she had dropped the serious attitude and had gone back to her more bubbly ways, so the statement sounded cocky. Piplup, meanwhile, was cheering and jumping up and down in celebration.

Roark blinked and then sighed, though it was content and he had a smile on his face. "Cranidos, return," he said, recalling the fainted Pokémon. "You did awesome," he spoke. The Gym Leader placed the Poké Ball back onto his belt and walked up to Haley. "I'm very impressed," Roark told his victorious challenger. "You had many surprises to throw me off, not to mention that you had full trust in your Pokémon." Paul resisted rolling his eyes.

"I just believe in my abilities as a Trainer that I toughened them up enough to take anything," Haley replied. Piplup puffed his chest again, which caused his Trainer to form yet another sweat drop.

The Gym Leader chuckled at the proud Pokémon. "All the same, I feel honored in awarding you this." He dug into his pocket and showed her a brown badge shaped like a boulder with a Poké Ball symbol in the middle. "This is the Coal Badge. Take it, you earned it."

Haley took the small piece of metal and held it up, moving it back and forth so the light from the sun made it gleam. She let something that sounded like a cross between a chuckle and a giggle, and then flicked the badge into the air like a coin. It spun as it flew up, and halfway down Haley snatched it. "Pip, Pip, lup!" the penguin cheered.

His Trainer laughed. "You've gotten a lot better," Brock stated as he and his friends walked up to her. Paul, meanwhile, was leaning against the wall, waiting for her to finish. Haley turned her attention to the three. "Of course," the former Gym Leader continued, "I expected nothing less."

"Thanks, Brock," Haley replied, beaming.

"Your Pokémon were amazing!" Ash exclaimed, looking pumped. "That battle was so awesome!"

"Still, how could you be so cruel?" Dawn inquired with a slight irritated look on her face.

Haley blinked while Piplup tilted his head. "Cruel?" she repeated.

"Pip...lup?" the Pokémon added.

"You intentionally let your Pokémon get hurt just so you could win!" Dawn accused. "And poor Monferno! It was just used as bait!"

The victor stared at her accuser. "First off, about Monferno," Haley began, "he  _agreed_ to it. I would  _never_ use my Pokémon as bait without consent. Second, as I said before, I believed in my Pokémon and I knew they could handle Stealth Rock. And as I said before, no pain no gain."

"That's all that is to you?!" Dawn snapped, not believing what she was hearing.

"Well then, missy, explain how  _you_ train  _your_ Pokémon," Haley snapped back. "What, do they just roll around in the grass and suddenly they become stronger? If they don't fight and they don't struggle just a little, then they aren't growing. The world isn't just sunshine and rainbows."

"I treat my Pokémon with love and care, and I don't push them more than they have to be," Dawn retorted, holding back anger. "I'm a Coordinator."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Because Coordinators are  _sooo_ different from regular Trainers," she said sarcastically. "Your Pokémon still battle, you know. They still have to be strong."

"At least I'm not cruel!" She huffed. "No wonder you and Paul get along. You both treat your Pokémon with no respect."

The older female glared. "I'll ask again,  _what do you know about either of us?_ " Haley hissed, each word oozing with venom. "Neither of us is cruel. Harsh, maybe, but  _not_ cruel. There's a difference."

"Because all you care about is power!" Dawn accused. "You probably don't think of your Pokémon as friends, either!"

 _That_ struck a nerve. "Why you little bi-" Paul, who had been slowly walking over when he saw the situation beginning to worsen, put a hand on Haley's shoulder. The girl whipped her head to see who dared to interrupt her but then when she saw it was Paul, Haley's face soften slightly.

"They obviously aren't going to listen to," he said. He couldn't believe that, for once in his life, he was being the voice of reason. "Let's go. They aren't worth your time." Haley glared at Dawn once more and growled before spinning her feet and walked towards the door.

"Hey Paul," Ash piped up. Paul turned his attention to him. "May we watch your battle as well?"

Paul was about to reject, but then Haley interrupted him. "If he's asking, it means they have nothing better to do," she stated. Her annoyance levels were dropping, but Paul knew from her tone that they hadn't fully disappeared. "Let them come. Ash might learn even more for his upcoming battle." Then she turned her head and glared at the Coordinator. "But keep  _her_ as far away from me as possible if you do allow them to watch."

The boy stood there in silence. Then he turned to walk to the door as well. "Fine," he said. "Like I said, I really could care less." The partners opened the door to the hallway.

"You can be sure I'll be watching you guys battle!" Ash called after them, sounding a little pissed.

Paul grunted, but only Haley heard it as the two made their way out of the Gym. The walk back to the Pokémon Center was silent, until an annoyed grunt came from Haley. Paul looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He had never seen her so riled up. "Just let it go," he advised, closing his eyes. "She doesn't know you, so her accusations shouldn't bother you."

"But it's the fact that she would make such accusations  _without knowing me_ that pisses me off to no end!" Haley exclaimed. "And that's they second time she's made some claim about you when in all reality she hasn't seen you outside of battling."

"To be fair," Paul replied with a smirk on his face, "I haven't exactly given them good impressions. Not that I care."

"I know you don't. I didn't need to be with you for a week to know you don't care about other people's opinions."

Haley's partner slowed down just a tad, not that the girl noticed. He watched Haley walk and thought back to the argument the two girls had. Paul realized Haley had been defending him. Only Reggie had done that. He smiled.  _I care about certain people's opinions, though,_ he thought.  _And yours is one of them._ He couldn't believe how much he had come to respect her, and in such a short amount of time. "So what are we going to do now?" he asked as they entered the Pokémon Center.

The girl tilted her head. "I think I'm going to wash my clothes and take a shower," she stated. "And I guess you can explore the city or train."

Paul stopped. "Wait, do you have extra clothes while you wait for those ones to be washed?"

Haley turned to look at him. "Yeah, my pjs. Why?"

He shrugged. "Just checking," he replied. "Guess I'll see you later, then. Enjoy." He turned to exit the building he had just entered and decided to go train for the next day.


	4. Who's The Better Trainer?

**A/N: Unless the episode(s) are important for character development, they will be skipped. As such, if you want to see the full fight between Paul and Roark, go to DP015 and skip to about 7 minutes in. And the full fight between Ash and Roark is in DP016, about 8:50 or so. I mean, if it's already there, why do it again? So...yeah.**

* * *

 

Haley watched as Paul's Chimchar was getting knocked around. Her already tight fists became even tighter. Of course, that was making her knuckles white and pain shoot up her left hand like no one's business.  _Come on, Chimchar! You can do it!_ she encouraged in her head.

Meanwhile, Paul looked agitated.  _Will you stop flinching?!_ he shouted. Damn Zen Headbutt and its stupid side effect. Damn it to hell with no return trip. And then, just when Paul had lost hope in the Chimp Pokémon, he began to glow with an orange aura. For the first time in front of rival, Paul actually gave off a real happy grin, not that Ash noticed. The kid was too focused on the aura surrounding Chimchar. As was Roark, who gasped. Of course, that grin didn't stay for long, replaced with an oh-so familiar smirk. "I was waiting for this," Paul announced.

"For what?" Ash asked.

 _Blaze,_ Haley thought.  _But...why would Paul wait for something that only works when Chimchar is close to fainting? Unless it's...special...oh...OOOHHH._ Roark didn't stay stunned for long. "Zen Headbutt again!" he ordered without skipping a beat. Cranidos charged.

But now Paul had a way to counter. He just hoped this was  _the_ Blaze he was looking for. "Now, Flame Wheel!" he commanded. Chimchar ran and then curled up into a fiery wheel, moving faster than normal. Quickly Paul thought back to Haley's battle. He remembered how she had tried aiming for the legs with Mach Punch. He figured he should do the same. "Aim for the legs!" Chimchar spun and hit Cranidos right on the kneecap. The Rock type let out a cry, while his Trainer gasped once more. Cranidos stood up, although he was a bit shaky. Still, it wasn't enough. Blaze  _had_ given the chimp a speed boost, but what Paul was looking for was the power. And once again, it was missing. He kept going, though. "Flame Wheel, Chimchar, once more!" Chimchar repeated the motions and hit the legs again. Confident that his opponent's speed was lowered enough thanks to his knee injuries, Paul decided on a move that seemed to fail him for most of the fight. "Chimchar, use Dig, let's go!" Chimchar jumped back into the ground.

 _Again with using the same moves,_ Haley thought.  _Variety is the spice of life. Come on, you have to throw him off guard._ Her thoughts were interrupted when Roark ordered, "Cranidos, Focus Energy now!" The girl watched as the Rock type focused again. If Chimchar weren’t careful, this would be it. Chimchar dug out of the ground, pushing Cranidos up as he did so. His opponent went flying, but Roark wasn't fazed by it. "Use Headbutt!" Cranidos recovered in midair and began to sail towards Chimchar like a comet. The air didn't require the use of his legs, so he was just as fast as before Chimchar hit him with two Flame Wheels. When Paul ordered his Pokémon to dodge, there just wasn't enough time to do so, and Cranidos hit Chimchar dead on.

Paul was now down two Pokémon.

"Chimchar is unable to battle!" Ian stated. "Cranidos wins!"

The challenger now had a scowl on his face. He couldn't believe Chimchar had lost. He recalled the fallen Pokémon and stared at the Poké Ball. "Chimchar, I'll deal with you later," he promised.

Up in the bleachers, Haley noticed Paul's frustration and that he had said something to the Poké Ball, but she didn't catch what.  _Well, I know one thing for sure; Paul really, really, REALLY wants_ something  _out of Chimchar._ She sighed.  _Guess I'll find out later._ She continued to watch as Paul called Elekid out again. The Electric type took the Stealth Rock, but just like Haley's Pokémon he shook it off. Haley's eyes began to dart back and forth as the two battlers exchanged blows, growing increasingly tired. The battle would be over soon; Elekid was worn out from the fight with Onix, and Cranidos' knee hurt even more thanks to a punch Elekid had given him. Finally, Roark ordered a Zen Headbutt and Paul decided to match it with a Brick Break. The two attacks landed, causing quite the explosion. If the two Pokémon didn't already look tired, they sure did now. They wobbled, obviously about to topple to the ground at any second. But Elekid had a stronger will and apparently more stamina, because the only one who fell was Cranidos.

"Cranidos is unable to battle!" Ian declared. "Elekid wins! The victor is Paul!"

Paul didn't smile, nor did he celebrate. It just wasn't his thing. He just simply said, "Okay, Elekid, return," and did just that.

Meanwhile, Roark recalled his Pokémon with some encouraging words. "That was some impressive battling, Paul," the Gym Leader stated. He walked up to Ian, who handed him a small tray. "And here's your Oreburgh Gym Badge," he continued, showing it to his victorious challenger. "Congratulations, Paul." Paul couldn't help but smirk internally at the fact that Roark had simply fished the prize out of his pocket for Haley rather than hand it to her on a silver platter...so to speak.

"Thank you very much, Roark," he stated, grabbing the badge. He put it in his pocket. "I'll see you," he added, although he was pretty sure that was a lie. Paul would probably never see the Gym Leader again-

"Where're you going?" Ash asked, sounding slightly competitive.  _Fucking Arceus, what now?_ But despite his urge (and probably what was the better option) to just keep walking, he stopped and turned his head.

"Hmm?"

"Aren't you going to stay to watch  _my_ battle?" A silence fell over everyone. Paul resisted the urge to scrunch his face up in disgust, and Haley just looked on as she stood next to her partner. She had a feeling she shouldn't voice her opinion until one was needed. The girl was expecting Paul to reject right away, but what he actually did kind of surprised her: he smirked and chuckled. Haley waited for Ash's reaction to the response, and again she was surprised: the naïve, happy-go-lucky boy rolled his eyes. He then ran up a bit. "What's so funny?" he inquired.

Paul turned his whole body to face the younger male, still smirking. "That you want me to watch you lose," he stated.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed.

Dawn and Pikachu skidded in between the two boys, their arms held out. "Alright, time...out!" she shouted. Now Haley rolled her eyes. If she was so into keeping the peace, where was this yesterday?  _Clearly, it was off participating in a contest,_ she thought. Dawn turned her head to Paul. "You've already battled Ash once," she continued. _Actually, twice,_ Paul thought. "Why  _not_ stay and watch?" Paul looked at her with a blank, uncaring expression. He was thinking some similar to what Haley was, wondering why the Coordinator had lashed out yesterday and now wanted to make sure no fighting broke out. Not to mention her accusations against Haley had bothered him, mostly because Haley barely calmed down until she fell asleep, tired from her Gym Battle. Dawn's face grew slightly confused as Paul continued to look at her without a word. "Wh-what's wrong?" she asked.

Paul was trying to think of a response, and he decided to go with the one he had used yesterday for two reasons: one, he didn't like her, especially not after the stunt she pull and two (most importantly and slightly embarrassing)...

He barely even remembered her name.

"What's wrong?" he repeated. "Who are you?"

A volcano erupted. "Excuse me, rudeness, but we met once before!" she shouted.  _Again, twice,_ Paul repeated. "The name's Dawn!"

The older boy continued to give the same expression.  _Oh yeah, that was it,_ he thought.  _Still don't like her. Just keep up the charade._ "Don't remember," he said calmly.

Now there was a supernova. Haley quickly leaned over to whisper, "Okay, that might have been a little cold," before Dawn totally let loose.

"You think you're funny, don'tcha!" she shouted even louder and even more angry. "Listen, mister!" Brock quickly ran over and picked her up, but that didn't stop her from kicking and yelling some more. "You nasty, insulting, spoiled brat! Apologize!"

Paul did his best not to explode himself and tell her he was the  _farthest_ thing away from being a spoiled brat, but he managed to keep calm. Meanwhile, Roark calmly walked over. "You're welcome to stay," he said, though it sounded slightly ( _very_ slightly) nervous.

The victor smirked again and closed his eyes. "With that enthusiasm, how can I refuse?" he replied, though it had a hint of sarcasm.

"Good!" Ash exclaimed with determination. "And I'm going to show you a whole new style of battling!" The kid turned to Roark. "Whenever you're ready, Roark, I am!"

Roark blinked but gave a smile anyway. "Ash, would you mind terribly if...we had our battle tomorrow?" the Gym Leader asked. Now Ash blinked. "You know, my Pokémon and I just went through some serious battling, and to tell you the truth, we're exhausted."

Ash, once again, didn't seem to mind the delay and just smiled. "I hear ya," he replied. "Hey, tomorrow will be just fine."

The Gym Leader was replying, but Haley was focused on other things. "Wait, so we have to stay  _another_ day?" she asked Paul, hoping that slight sarcasm was the truth.

"You're free to leave, but it's clear I'm wanted here," Paul told her, opening one eye slightly to look at her. Haley just huffed and crossed her arms. Suddenly he felt a glare, and he moved his attention away from Haley to lock eyes with Ash. He chuckled again, and without another word, turned and began to walk away. His partner, still a little ticked that their journey was delayed one more day, followed.

"So what now?" she asked.

"Now?" Paul took out a Poké Ball and glared at it. "Now I give  _this_ to someone else."

"Azumarill?"

Paul growled a bit. "Did you  _see_  it? Absolutely worthless. I would have been fine if it-"

"She."

"Do I look like I care at the moment? Anyway, if  _she..._ " He rolled his eyes. "Had landed one, just  _one_ attack, I would have been fine, but no. She missed, and then was down in two hits.  _Two_!"

"Torterra went down in three when you and I fought," Haley pointed out.

"At least he landed an attack, and Umbreon is skilled, you and I both know it," he informed.

Haley sighed. There was no way she was winning. "Fine, we'll find some kid who's looking for a Water type," she caved in. "Shouldn't be too hard since there will be challengers looking for an advantage."

Back at the Pokémon Center, the two found a young boy, who wasn't actually a challenger, but he liked Azumarill and always wanted one, so he was more than happy to receive her. And Azumarill didn't mind the change in ownership since she couldn't keep up with Paul's style of training anyway. Then Paul gave the other two Pokémon to Chansey and had Nurse Joy's assistant put the Poké Balls into the machine. To pass the time, the partners got themselves lunch. "Salads," Paul stated as he finished said dish. "When there isn't anything else to get."

Haley giggled slightly. "I knew there was a funny bone somewhere," she said. Paul grunted in amusement. "Speaking of funny, did you really forget Dawn's name?"

"Kind of," he admitted. "But I also just don't like her."

"It's the same old jokes with you," Haley half sighed, half chuckled as she tore into her sandwich.

Paul smirked. "You know me." Haley waved her hand, which Paul had learned meant, "Yeah, yeah." He then saw the Chansey behind the counter, waving at him. "Hold on, I'll be back." He got out of the booth and went to pick up the two Poké Balls. As he walked back he noticed Ash and his four Pokémon. Apparently he was trying to decide on whom to use, though Paul knew that Staravia would be the one who got X'ed. He might have found the scene amusing, if he was five, but he continued to watch anyway. He finally found interest when Brock pointed out that the most important factor of his battle was his speed.

Ash crossed his arms, thinking. "So do I," he agreed. "Thing is, what do we do?"

The recent victor smirked. Maybe he could finally knock some much needed sense into his rival, so he decided to intervene. "Now that should be a no brainer," he stated, walking up to them. "Just imitate me."

The group turned to him. Haley, who had finished her lunch, wondered what was taking Paul so long. She stood up slightly and turned around. When she saw the four she frowned. "Oh boy," she sighed. But she decided to watch for now.

"I'd never do what you do!" Ash shot back. "I wouldn't force Chimchar to battle the way you did for a million bucks!"

Paul sneered.  _Rejecting my advice. Typical._ He heard footsteps running towards him. "Hey, wow!" It was the kid from before. Paul turned to him, and the kid flashed Azumarill's Poké Ball. "Thanks again for the Azumarill, mister!" he exclaimed. "We'll train real hard, so see ya!" The kid ran off once more, and Paul held up a hand. A slight wave, you would say.

Of course, Ash wasn't too happy with the small scene that just took place. "You gave him Azumarill?" he asked in disgust.

His rival turned to him again. "Yeah, so?"

"Cause it  _lost_?" Ash continued, even more disgusted.

"That's as good as that Azumarill's gonna get," Paul informed.

" _I_ thought it was your friend," Ash snapped. "You could have kept trainin, ya know?"

"No, that one was a lost cause," his rival replied calmly.

"I don't get you," the younger boy stated.

"And  _I_ thought you wanted to win," Paul shot back, his eyes narrowing.

Ash gasped but quickly recovered. "I do!" he insisted. "But not the way  _you_ do."

Paul figured Azumarill wasn't the only lost cause. Haley, seeing that this conversation was ending, joined him. "So are you done here?" she asked. Paul looked at her and turned for the door.

"Why do you keep following him?" Ash asked. "He's not your friend, and he'll never think of you as such!"

"I don't know about that last part," Haley replied. "But I do have to agree with you on the first. For once, you're right." The gang was shocked. "We're partners, not friends." She walked after the purple-haired boy. "Though I might inform you if such information changes." And with that the door closed behind them.

"Must you tell them things that aren't their business?" Paul asked.

"I don't like hearing the same question twice," she told him. "If I didn't answer, he'd probably keep asking. So..." She ran ahead and then walked backwards, looking at him. "Apparently there's a fossil museum. We have a whole day to kill, you know."

Paul was about to protest, since he wanted to deal with Chimchar and his lackluster battling, but the whole day wouldn't be wasted there, and he knew it.

Because when it came to the art of battling, Haley knew him too well.

...

This time, Haley had company when watching someone getting knocked around. But when Paul got up, she figured she would be alone for the rest of the match. That was, until Pikachu suddenly stood up and let out a Thunderbolt. He didn't want Paul to leave, not just yet, oh no.

Pikachu still had fight in him.

Paul walked back next to Haley and sat down again. "They don't give up on trying to prove you wrong," Haley stated.

"To my dismay," Paul replied. "And yet, I'll be honest, I'm curious."

They watched as Pikachu performed a Quick Attack. "I'll be honest, too," the girl began. "Ash is going to lose."

Her partner sneered. But before he could respond, Roark ordered Head Smash. He gave off a serious look. "So Roark learned that move after all," he noted.

"It sounds powerful," Haley commented.

"It is, but it causes recoil."

Haley leaned forward a bit, resting her arms on the railing. "I don't like those moves. Too much of a risk."

Paul didn't reply. "If you're going for it, then we're going for it!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

"Pathetic strategy," Paul commented. "He must be desperate."

"He has been the entire time," Haley said. Paul eyed her as the two recoil moves clashed, causing an explosion of power. Haley let the wind die down before continuing. "You're probably wondering why I say that," she said. "It goes back to what I was saying about him going to lose this match."

Again, Paul sneered. "I thought that was obvious," he stated, finally getting his comment out.

"It has nothing to do with your opinion on how weak or strong he is," Haley replied as Ash switched in Turtwig. "He's too focused on showing you up."

"Are you serious?" Paul asked in surprise, facing her.

She nodded slowly. "His body language and eyes tell all," she explained. "Watch. He looks at you from time to time, wondering if you're still watching and what you think." Paul now had all eyes on the challenger rather than the fight. And right now, Turtwig was running towards Cranidos, going in to use Bite.

"Oh my," Roark commented with a smile. "That just might be the fastest Turtwig I've ever seen."

Paul took a quick glance. "I hate to admit it, but Turtwig's speed really improved," he mumbled. But right after that observation he went back to watching the Pokémon's Trainer.

"Remember that promise he made before the match began, saying he would show you 'real battling'?" Haley continued as if no comment had interrupted them. "He wants to make sure you see it, and that's taking his focus off of what's in front of him."

Paul thought she must have been joking. Even Ash wasn't that stupid. But right before Ash ordered the Razor Leaf that knocked Cranidos out, he saw it. For just a split second, Ash's brown eyes darted over to his rival and then back to the fight. Paul couldn't believe what he had just seen. "Is he that dense?" he hissed as Roark recalled the fainted Cranidos. "Is that why it took all three of his Pokémon to take Cranidos down?"

Another slow nod. "And Roark has two Pokémon that are well prepared while Ash has two that are worn out," she added. "Do you see now? It has nothing to do with his strength; if he were focused but still losing, I would say that's the problem, but this is a factor that makes judging him unfair."

"Tch, this is ridiculous," Paul stated. "But I'm surprised you noticed it. I didn't until you brought it up."

"I told you before, I have sharp eyes."  _To see all that? Those eyes must be sharper than a Scyther's arms._

"Okay, Paul, watch this!" Ash suddenly exclaimed, proving Haley's point to pretty much everyone now (not that anyone else but Roark had an idea that Ash was unfocused). Paul just let out a "hmph".

The battle continued. Turtwig was knocked by Onix very quickly, and it was clear Pikachu was struggling. Paul admitted to himself that using Thunderbolt to ravage the field was smart, but Onix countered with Screech, which required no movement. Paul knew this was it, and so he focused his attention on Haley's strange reaction, which was her face scrunching up and her hands twitching. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"I have...sensitive ears," she replied.  _Those must be_ really  _sensitive ears,_ Paul thought. He heard Pikachu crash into some rocks. When the dust cleared, he was standing, looking like he was okay. But only mere seconds later he fell to the ground, fainted.

Haley's prediction had come true.

Seeing no point in staying, Paul got up to leave, with Haley following, her ears slightly ringing. Ash, who had a tired Pikachu in his arms, noticed the two walking to the door. He stood up, and Paul heard him mumble something. In response, Paul turned his head slightly.

...

The partners were now on their way towards Jubilife City. Haley wanted to battle the Eterna Gym, and Paul wanted to go to a city west of it called Diablo City. "Why don't you just challenge the Gym there like me?" Paul asked.

"If I do, we won't go out of our way to explore more of the region," Haley replied. "Besides, we don't want to have  _completely_ identical cases, right?" Paul nodded. "You think he'll get over it?"

"Hmm?"

"Ash. Do you think he'll get over the comment you made?"

Paul put his hands in his pockets. "If he doesn't, then he's proving my point and I'll say it to him again."

There was silence. Paul then repeated his comment.

"How pathetic."


	5. What's So Great About Honey?

Haley took a big whiff and then sighed happily. "Aaaahhhh, I  _LOVE_ the smell of flowers," she stated.

"Then you hit the jackpot," Paul said. "Floaroma Town is infested with them."

"Infested? What, do you they're some sort of disease?"

"Just trying to have a more colorful vocabulary." Haley rolled her eyes.

The town's motto of "Vivid and Scented" wasn't all bark and no bite. Next to every house and building was a flowerbed, big or small. Some buildings had multiple flowerbeds beside them. And the fields that surrounded the town had flowers that stretched on for what seemed like miles. Suddenly, Haley's stomach rumbled. She blushed. "Uh...heh heh, looks like I'm hungry," she laughed nervously.

Paul raised an eyebrow. "You said you ate breakfast," he pointed out.

The girl scratched her cheek. "Um, funny story..."

"Humor me."

"I'm...really picky when it comes to breakfast. Today at the Pokémon Center there wasn't anything I liked, so I just grabbed an energy bar and then-"

"Lied," Paul sighed. "Great, now I have to wake up earlier than you so I can make sure you eat, even if it means shoving something down your throat."

"Nonono, you don't-" Her rumbling stomach interrupted her, louder this time.

Her partner sighed again. "Well, it  _is_ almost lunch, so I guess we can look for a place to eat. Either that or just go to the Pokémon Center." He walked on. "Come on, because I don't think your stomach will be able to handle another second without food."

"Sh-shut up!" Haley snapped, embarrassed.

They continued towards the Pokémon Center, but then a young woman ran up to them. She had bushy blue hair tied back. She was also wearing a red apron, a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and red sneakers. "Hello, are you two travelers?" she asked.

"We are, but right now we're in a hurry," Paul replied. He had slowed down a bit, but was now going back to his normal speed. "Right now-" It was now his turn to be interrupted by the very loud stomach.

"Oh, you're heading to lunch?" the woman observed. Paul stopped and Haley blushed again. "Well, luckily for you, I work in the café right over there." She pointed to a white one-story building with a flat roof and a red awning. A small sign stuck out of the side next to the door with a picture of a coffee cup. "Our special ingredient today is honey made from the local Combee. All of our selections use honey in some way."

At the mention of honey, Haley began to droll. "R-really?" she asked in a dream-like way.

Paul, meanwhile, raised his eyebrow again at his partner's reaction. "What's so great about honey?" he asked.

He should have probably thought that one through.

Haley grabbed his wrist. And by grabbed, that meant  _squeezing it really tight_. Paul winced at her sudden strength. Then she proceeded to yank him towards the café. "You _clearly_ have not tasted heaven," she stated.

"I didn't know the trip there would be this painful," he muttered, but it was so low not even Haley would here it. Yet right after he said that her grip relaxed a little. _What...there's_ no way  _she should have been able to hear me...maybe she just realized by herself. Yeah, that's it. Why do you keep thinking she's superhuman, you idiot?_

The eager girl opened the door, causing the little bell to chime. It was a small cozy, homey place. Not many people were there, but it seemed more because of the fact that it was the slow hour rather than because it was unpopular. The partners stepped inside, and were immediately followed by the employee.

"My name is Jennifer," she introduced. The waitress grabbed two paper menus. "Please follow me." The three walked to a table that was next to the window looking out towards a flower patch and a large white building decorated in flowers.

Paul felt strange as he sat down, not that any one in this café would understand. He had never been in a restaurant with someone... Well, except for his brother, but that was when he was younger. To him there was a difference between eating in a Pokémon Center, where food was free, and an establishment where you had to pay. He felt awkward sitting in his chair across from Haley, who was hungrily scanning the menu.

"Okay, I've got it," she stated a little later, placing the menu onto the table.

Paul hadn't touched the paper once. He was still trying to figure out a way to sink into his chair. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in years, and he hated the hotness and the feeling of Butterfrees that ravaged his stomach.  _I'm just glad_ THEY  _aren't here,_ he thought. "I still can't believe you pulled me into this little scheme of yours," he said aloud, hiding the dreaded feeling.

"Well, if you had lied about never trying honey, then I would have let you go," Haley replied.

"Actually, that's not what I said."

"You asked what makes honey so great.  _No one_ who has had honey would  _ever_ say that."

The boy sighed for the third time that day. "Fine, I'll humor you." Haley beamed. When Jennifer came back, his hungry partner ordered focaccia to share and some sort of corn and potato chowder. Paul was getting sick of raising eyebrows, but he did it again after she had also gotten both of them waters. "How do either of those have honey?" he asked.

"The focaccia has melted ricotta cheese that you spread honey onto," the girl explained. "There's a restaurant in Saffron City that does the same thing, and it's meant for sharing. And the chowder...they probably use it in the broth or something. Who knows, but it sounds good."

Paul was stuck on mixing cheese and honey. That just sounded... _weird._ Then he thought about it. It sounded weird to mix cheese with ketchup, or mustard, or anything else really, and yet those all tasted good. He decided to try it to, as he put it, humor her. He rested his head on his arm supported by his elbow and looked out the window. He looked at the white building. Paul wasn't a Coordinator, but when he traveled through Hoenn, he had seen a few of the halls, and so he was pretty sure that's what the building was.

Then his eyes caught something. Two people walked in front of the buildings, and saying they looked strange or weird would be the understatement of the year. The two looked identical in every way. They had teal bowl cut hair and wore outfits that made them look like they were going into space. But they couldn't have been. This wasn't Mossdeep, and there wasn't a city in Sinnoh that launched rockets. He sat up. "Hmm?"

"What is it?" Haley asked.

"Those two," he replied, pointing out the window. Haley followed his finger.

"Man, they give me the creeps," she noted, shivering.

Paul looked at her. "I expected something about them being freaks or weirdos or something along those lines, not that they're creepy," he stated.

Haley blinked. "Oh, right, sorry. I forgot you don't have as sharp of eyes as I do," she said.

That again. The men were a good 15 feet or more away, and she could see them well enough to get the creeps. "Then explain to those who don't, Miss Sharp Eyes."

"Hey, nicknames are my thing," she retorted jokingly, her eyes narrowed playfully. But then they became serious. "They had on these stoic expressions, like yours only more severe. In fact, at least when you have on a stoic expression, I can still tell you have emotions and feelings. Those two...they almost seem like robots or like they had their souls sucked out of them."

Now that did sound creepy. Paul looked out the window again and noticed they were walking towards the east end of town, the way they would use to go to Eterna and Diablo. "They're definitely suspicious," he said.

"Should we do something about it?"

"Like Officer Jenny would take action because they 'gave you the creeps'."

He expected a defense, but she just sighed. "Guess you're right." She looked out the window. "Besides, it's not like they've done anything wrong." Paul nodded. Their conversation about the two men had made the time go by fast, so when they finished their food came out. "Since it's your first time, you take a piece first," Haley said.

Paul looked at the focaccia like it was going to jump up and attack him. But he had already promised himself he would do this, so he grabbed a corner piece. Then he took the small knife that sat on the paper that held the honey and honeycomb and took a small chunk, proceeding to smear it over the bread. Cautiously, he brought the piece up and took a bite. He expected a gag reflex.

Expectations aren't always the actual result.

His taste buds were exploding. The blend of the mild melting ricotta, the slightly crunchy fresh-baked focaccia, the dash of salt and the added sweet melting honey on top all sounded weird on paper yet just came together so perfectly. He looked at it and shrugged. "It's alright," he reported.  _Alright?_ ALRIGHT?!  _Paul, this is better than alright! Just say it, dumbass!_ But his mouth refused to comply and instead focused on finishing the piece.

Haley didn't mind. She just took her own piece and put on some honey. Paul had a slight suspicion that she already knew what he was thinking. She always seemed to know. Now he was reaching for his second piece, although it was very odd. His body wanted it so badly because it was just so good, but his mind was resisting since it wanted to keep up the charade. So his arm ended up slowly making its way to the tray, but once he had a hand on another piece, his mind submitted. "Yeah, just okay," Haley spoke up as he put on some honey. Her voice sounded as if she agreed with him, but he knew better. That statement might as well have a footnote saying "Drowning in sarcasm".

The boy ignored her. He tried tasting more of the honey this time, since that was the reason he had been brought to this café in the first place. And when he tasted it, he wondered why he had never asked his brother to get some when he was younger. Paul actually had a major sweet tooth that no one but his sibling knew about. Not even their dad knew about it.  _Then again, what does he know about us?_  Paul mentally shook that thought away.  _How did that pop up?_ he asked himself.

Choosing to ignore it, he went back to what he was originally thinking of, which was how sweet and tasty the honey was. He wanted more of it, and just of it, but with Haley there, that would seem really weird and childish. And then he got a lucky break when Haley, who had finished her chowder and water, had to use the restroom. He watched her walk away, and then he quickly scanned the café before taking a finger and greedily dragging it across the paper, getting a fair amount of the honey not still in the honeycomb. He looked at the golden substance and, after licking his lips hungrily, he took it into his mouth.  _So...so good,_ he moaned in his head. Not Paul could explain why he acted so strange when he had sweets. When there wasn't a drop left on his finger, he smiled. "So that's what's so good about honey," he noted. He picked up his napkin to wipe his finger.

Then he discovered the downside to the sweetness. It's kind of...sticky.

"Ugh. Great, just great," he mumbled. "Guess I have to go to the- huh?" There was a wet paper towel in his face.

"Should have probably warned you that honey can be a bit of a pain on the fingers," Haley said.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" The earlier feeling came back to his stomach, and Paul prayed to any deity, human or Pokémon, that she hadn't seen him licking his finger like a messy child.

"I was thinking some might have gotten on your hand when you ate the focaccia," she explained. Paul sighed in relief internally. "So I got a wet paper towel ready just in case. Looks like I was right." She laughed.

Paul felt his face heat up. He snatched the towel and cursed her for embarrassing him under his breath. The scowl Paul had on his face just made Haley laugh more. Her actions made it so that she didn't notice Jennifer, who was carrying a jar of honey. Paul's partner accidentally hit her in the arm, causing the jar to fall. The glass fell and broke on the tile, and the honey splattered onto the floor.

And onto Haley's legs.

"OH MY GOSH!" Jennifer cried as Haley wore a shocked expression. "I am SO sorry!"

"No, I'm the one who's sorry," Haley said calmly despite her obvious discomfort with the honey on her legs. Paul had to hold back a laugh, settling on a quiet snicker instead. "I'll help you clean up."

"It's fine, I'll get this," Jennifer replied. "I'll be back with everything I need and another jar of honey for you." She ran off.

Paul looked at Haley. "You ordered a jar of honey?" he asked. "When?"

"When I was walking back," she explained. "It's good honey."  _You're damn right!_ Paul exclaimed in glee, though he didn't show it. "And you don't have to laugh at me, you know. This isn't comfortable."

"Karma's a bitch, ain't it?" Paul replied smugly. Haley let out a low growl but didn't counter. Jennifer came back with a bucket filled with soapy water, a mop, and another jar. Haley paid for it and lunch, and the partners left, though Haley did so with a slight awkward walk. "Why don't you just have Umbreon Psychic you to the Pokémon Center?" he offered.

Haley let out another low growl. "Because I'll never hear the end of it," she mumbled.

As if they were waiting for a cue, Haley's Pokémon exited their Poké Balls. All except Turtwig had evolved, meaning they were tougher and much more mature. Though Paul was considering if he should amend that last part of the description when all five of the Pokémon (and the Tiny Leaf Pokémon) sniffed the air, saw the honey, and fell over, laughing so hard tears rolled from their eyes. And then Paul's Pokémon came out. He still had the same five Pokémon that he had since the Oreburgh Gym Battle, and he had only expected Chimchar, who still insisted like acting like a child despite constant warnings, to laugh. Instead, he noticed all of his Pokémon were having trouble holding in laughs of their own, even Torterra.  _Torterra._ Paul realized he hadn't been the only one affected by Haley's presence.

"Too late now," Paul stated with a smirk, making the Continent Pokémon almost what little composure he had. "Now come on, don't you think being carried would be a wise decision?" Umbreon's eyes widened in understanding.

Meanwhile, Haley looked agitated and embarrassed. "It's bad enough they all had to see me, so can we just-" She was interrupted by chanting. Nine Pokémon were begging for Umbreon to carry her Trainer (yes, even Paul's Pokémon were in on the act). The black cat didn't do anything, however, until Torterra voiced his opinion.

"Um," the Moonlight Pokémon agreed. Her eyes glowed blue, and Haley was swept off her feet.

"Wah! Torterra!" she cried. "I thought you'd be on my side! Come on, Umbreon, put me down!" Everyone laughed, except for Paul, who snickered. The teen recalled all of his Pokémon except for Torterra since he shook his head. He would rather be here for the show. Meanwhile, Haley's Pokémon (minus Umbreon of course) hit their own Poké Balls and were beamed inside. The three then walked to the Pokémon Center while Haley floated right next to them, struggling and cursing them all the way.

"Hello," Nurse Joy began as they entered. "How may I...what do we have here?" The confused look on her face almost made Umbreon burst into laughter, Torterra lose his composure, and Paul to snicker.

"She just needs a shower," Paul explained, jerking his thumb towards the floating girl. "She got into a...sticky situation," THAT made Umbreon and even Torterra laugh a little, "so we need a room. Just for a half an hour, maybe a little longer. We aren't staying."

"P-Paul!" Haley protested. "That's too cruel! Come on!" Paul gave her a look that said "No chance". Haley pouted, yet he refused to give in.

Nurse Joy understood, though a little sweat drop did form. "There's a room on the first floor, down that hall and second on your right. And here's the key." She handed Paul a card.

"Thank you." He bowed. The three (with Haley in tow) went down the hallway and entered the room (except Torterra; he just laid down in the hall since he was too big to fit through the door, but not too big to where he took up the entire hallway). Paul opened the bathroom door, and Umbreon set Haley on the toilet. The female Trainer, however, refused to move.

"Not until you let us stay the night," she argued, a frown and narrow eyes on her face.

But Paul wasn't backing down. With an evil thought, he looked down at the black cat. "Umbreon, I think you'll have to use those powers just a bit more."

"WHAT?!"

"Um." The feline strode into the room, and Paul closed the door. "Um, Um, Umbre."

"No, no, Umbreon, put me down! Stop it! H-hey, put my clothes back on! Girly!" The shower turned on. "Umbreon come on- eep!" Paul smirked and sat on the bed.

15 minutes passed and the shower turned off. After another three or five minutes, Haley emerged, dressed and livid. Paul sat up (he had kicked off his shoes at some point and laid down, dozing for a bit) and smirked once more. "Hey, now you're all clean. In hindsight, you should be thanking me."

She huffed. "I'd be more thankful if we could stay here," she replied. Umbreon followed, a triumphant smile on her face. Then she turned, presumably to talk to Torterra. But she was greeted with an empty hallway.

"Um, bre?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Paul replied. He slipped on his shoes and noticed his absent Pokémon.

Haley joined them. "Now how did that happen?"

"Don't you mean when?"

"No, I mean how? You're always observant, and you wake up at the slightest noise. Unless..." She pointed a finger at Paul. "You lied to me this morning, too! You said you got sleep last night! You trained late again, didn't you?"

"We didn't get as much as I would have liked, okay?" Paul defended. Haley rolled her eyes. "Anyway, that's not what's important right now. Can we try and find my missing Pokémon?"

"Right." Then the lights flickered, and then shut off. "Whoa, now what?"

Paul wanted answers. He walked quickly to the front desk, with Haley and Umbreon at his heels, and met a frantic Nurse Joy and Chansey. "Nurse Joy, have you seen a Torterra anywhere?" he asked.

"Huh?" she stated, obviously confused due to her panic. "Oh, sorry I'm so distorted. The Valley Windworks must be experiencing difficulties, so all of our equipment has shut off...er, sorry, that's not what you asked. Yes, your Torterra walked out the door about ten minutes ago by itself after the lights flickered the first time. I was surprised it left on its own, but-"

"You just let him go and didn't tell me?!" Paul interrupted, visibly irritated yet worried.

"W-well, he seemed like he had a destination in mind," Nurse Joy replied. "M-maybe the Windworks?"

"Where is it?" Haley asked since Paul was a little too irritated to speak.

"Just off of Route 205," Joy stated.

Route 205. The way to Eterna Forest. The same way that...! "Haley, let's move quickly!" Paul exclaimed, whipping around and heading for the door. "I have a bad feeling about something."

Haley and Umbreon looked at each other before quickly following the Trainer. "What do you mean?" she asked as they walked quickly.

"Those men. They were heading towards Route 205. But maybe they weren't heading towards Eterna Forest."

His partner's eyes widened in understanding. "And maybe Torterra felt a disturbance coming from that direction," she said. "Pokémon have a strange sense for knowing these things."

"Exactly." Paul took out a Poké Ball. "Murkrow!" he exclaimed as he continued to walk. The bird appeared. "Go and find Torterra. He should be along Route 205 near the Valley Windworks. When you find Torterra, report back to me and lead the way. There might also be some strange-looking men there. Avoid them at all costs." Murkrow nodded and flew into the skies.

Meanwhile, the humans and Umbreon continued along the route, on guard and ready to jump into the trees if they saw one of the men. Finally, Murkrow came back to them and lead them into the trees on the right. They noticed the power plant through the trees, but more importantly they found Torterra, who was watching the Windworks. "Torterra!" Haley whispered. Paul recalled Murkrow as Haley and Umbreon ran up to him, and he joined them, eyeing his Pokémon.

"We'll talk later," he said. Then he knelt down, watching the power plant as well. "So this is why you left?"

"Tor," he replied, nodding.

"But there doesn't appear to be anyone there," Haley stated.

"Ter," Torterra said, shaking his head.

"So they are there," Paul said.

"Even so, what do we do? We're just a couple of teens, Paul. Maybe we should just wait for Officer Jenny."

Paul was about to reply when he heard footsteps. The four remind silent, even holding their breath, as two men looking like the other two (or maybe they were the same two men) walked down the path next to the trees. "That old man still won't give us honey, huh?" one of them stated.

"Commander Mars says it's not all that important," his twin replied. "She says although getting more Pokémon would be nice, getting power from the Windworks takes top priority." The eavesdroppers shrunk back as they approached just a little close for comfort.

"We're on a time limit, though," the first one said. "The power in town just went out according to the readings."

"That's what the hostages are for, idiot," the other hissed. Paul and Haley looked at each other. "No one would even come near us if we said we'll hurt them."

The first was about to speak, but this time it was Paul's turn to interrupt. "Ursaring, grab them!" he ordered as he quickly threw the Poké Ball. The bear grabbed the two surprised men, who now struggled under his grip. With narrowed eyes, Paul walked in front of Ursaring. "Take me to your leader," he hissed.

The second man sneered. "Kid, what do you think you're in, a video game?" he asked.

"I don't think you're really in a position to be refusing," Paul retorted. Ursaring squeezed tighter. "Fine, if you won't lead me, tell me."

"Commander Mars is in the big green building near the stone wall on the second floor!" the first grunt exclaimed quickly.

"Idiot, what do you-"

"Ursaring, get rid of them," Paul order curtly. His Pokémon promptly threw the two men far into the trees. "Now you and Torterra return." He recalled them, promising himself he'd use Torterra later. "Haley, let's go."

"Normally I'd fight you on this, but hostages are a different story." The three ran towards the plant, using the trees as cover. "Heh, looks like I was wrong. They do have souls."

"Just those two. Who knows how many of those people there are." They were now right next to the wall, looking at the building the grunt had mentioned. They knelt down in a bush.

Haley took out a Poké Ball. "Monferno, come out," she whispered just in case. The chimp was now out. "I'm going to hoist you onto the top of the wall. Nod if it's clear."

"Mon," Monferno replied. Haley clasped her hands together and gave her Pokémon a foothold. He stepped onto it, holding onto her shoulders as she cautiously stood up. With his strength and flexibility, Monferno was able to avoid the barbed wire to look and scan the power plant grounds. He looked at the Trainers and nodded. Haley nodded and he jumped down. Now the four quickly went to the gate, which Umbreon quickly and quietly opened with Psychic. They ran through the grounds, making sure they were spotted. Cautiously they opened the door to the green building and ran inside. The lights were on here, probably because whoever was doing this kept energy at the plant so they could see and continue whatever it was they were doing. Following the grunt's lead, they made their way up to the second floor. Umbreon's ears swiveled.

"Ummmbreee," she growled.

Her Trainer strained her own ears. "It sounds like electricity is crackling and...two Pokémon gathering energy," she reported.

"Curse you and your superhuman abilities," Paul mumbled. Haley rolled her eyes. They followed Umbreon to a door and, without hesitation, Paul flung it open. In the room there was a Luxray and an Electivire on panels, taking electricity into their bodies. Whoever these people were, they obviously wanted the energy the plant had. When they heard the door slam against the wall two men looking similar to those outside turned around, along with a young woman, who had red hair and red eyes and was wearing the same sort of outfit as the grunts except it was a dress.

"Hmm, when I expected company to barge in I was thinking it would be the police, not two children," the woman.

"What do you want with the energy here?!" Haley asked, getting straight to the point and noting the Pokémon as well.

The woman chuckled quietly. "Now why would I tell you?" she answered. "You wouldn't understand anyway. You two, get rid of them."

"Yes ma'am!" the grunts replied. They unleashed their Pokémon: a Zubat, a Glameow, and a Stunky.

"Elekid, stand by for battle!" Paul called out. His Pokémon emerged, sparks flying from his plug-like prongs.

"Umbreon, Monferno, get ready!" Haley said. Both of her Pokémon dropped into fighting stances. Then the three Pokémon fighting the thieves sprung without orders. Elekid Thunder Punched Zubat, Umbreon used Faint Attack on Glameow (and seemed damn proud of it; apparently without anyone noticing Glameow had given a typical teenager nose-in-the-air, not found of Umbreon's obvious tomboy nature, and the black wasn't pleased), and Monferno landed a direct Flame Wheel to Stunky. All three Pokémon fainted, to which the young woman was not pleased.

"Either your Pokémon are weak or you are," she said curtly. "To lose to children."

One of the grunts turned to her. "Commander, I believe these are no ordinary Trainers," he reported. His leader didn't change her cold expression. "I know I've seen them before, and it dawned on me. One is a repeat participant in various Pokémon Leagues, and the other is a three-time Elite Four Run Champion."

Now the woman seemed intrigued. "Interesting," she said. She turned and walked forward a little. "This may actually be fun."

"So you're strong then," Paul stated. "Or at least, you think you are."

The woman didn't hide the small vein that popped up on her temple. "You little brat," she grumbled. She sent out three Pokémon: a Bronzor, a Golbat, and a Purugly. "You get one chance to leave. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences. You are dealing with Commander Mars of Team Galactic. In fact..." Her irritated frown turned into a smirk. "Go ahead and bring out three Pokémon each. I'll still easily beat you two."

Paul looked at Haley and noticed she had on the serious scanning face she had worn when watching Ash's Gym Battle. "What do you think?" he whispered.

"Overconfident," Haley replied, sounding almost like a robot. "She will lose because of it. However, if she wants us to use six Pokémon, I see no reason not to comply." With that she brought Luxio out as well.

Finding this overkill but deciding to go along with it anyway, Paul sent out Chimchar and Torterra, as promised. "Monferno and Chimchar should go after Bronzor," he said. "If Bronzor tries to use a Psychic move, Chimchar will counter it before it lands a super effective hit."

"Elekid and Luxio are going to take Golbat," Haley continued. "That leaves Umbreon and Torterra to take Purugly. Everyone got that?" she asked a little louder than she had been talking at. All six Pokémon nodded. "Good. If any of you finish early, help any group that needs it."

Mars laughed. "None of them will be finishing any of my Pokémon," she replied. "Sic 'em." The three Pokémon lunged, and so did their opponents.

* * *

  **(A/N: The Pokémon are talking to each other, but none of the humans can hear them...They are still speaking, uh, Pokémon. However, I figured I would let you guys hear their conversations since it's their plans on how to defeat their opponents. I will note of moments like this if I ever do it again.)**

* * *

 "Hey Luxio, I have an idea on how to take Golbat out," Elekid informed her.

"She's just a Golbat," the Spark Pokémon commented. "A Spark from me and a Thunder Punch from you will take her down."

"Yeah, but let's make 100% sure, and like I said I have an idea."

"Fine. What is it?"

"Let me hit you with Thunder."

"Are you trying to knock her out or  _me_?!" Luxio hissed. "Besides, why can't you just use Thunder on her?"

"Low accuracy plus good speed."

Luxio grumbled. "Good point," she said. "But still!"

"You're strong, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you can handle a Thunder, right?"

"Never tried."

"It'll power you up."

Luxio looked at Elekid, still not sure about this. She then looked at Golbat and sighed. "Fine." She braced herself. "But if I faint, it's your prongs I'll be after."

Elekid charged up. "Alright, here we go!" He unleashed it, and Luxio flinched as the electricity entered her body.

Golbat laughed. "What is this, internal strife?" she mocked. "I was a little nervous to be battling two Electric types, but if I had known about this, then I wouldn't have been."

Haley's Pokémon snickered. Her eyes were sharper, and her muscles felt more powerful than ever. "You  _should_  be nervous," Luxio growled with a smirk on her face. She roared, exploding with power. Then she pounced, using a well juiced up Spark. In just one hit, Golbat hit the ground, fainted.

In that time, Monferno and Chimchar were taking on Bronzor. "Chimchar, attack it with Flame Wheel!" Monferno exclaimed. "We'll take it out in one shot!"

"What?!" Chimchar replied. "But...I'm not strong enough to do that! And even if I was..." He frowned. "Paul would still find me weak."

"Forget all of that for a second," his evolved counterpart stated. "We have bigger things to- urk!" Their opponent suddenly used Extrasensory, sending Monferno flying thanks to the rainbow-colored beam.

"Monferno!" Chimchar cried.

"Must eliminate," Bronzor said in a deadpan voice.

Chimchar turned to it, furious. "I won't let you push my friends around like that!" he shouted. He then began to charge up a Flame Wheel, revving up in place.

Monferno recovered quickly from his quick flight and chuckled. "Perfect," he mumbled. Just as Chimchar flew Bronzor, his friend launched an Ember attack right at him, causing the Flame Wheel to power up even more. Chimchar hit Bronzor dead center with the powerful attack, and the Steel-Psychic type fainted. "See, told you we could take it out in one shot," Monferno said as Chimchar landed on the ground.

The unevolved Pokémon looked at Monferno and nodded. "Yeah, you were right," he said. He still looked down, though.  _He's probably going to scold me anyway. He always does...I wish I were stronger, for him and for myself..._ He looked at the veterans. "Do you think they need help?"

Monferno chuckled. "Eh, I think they've got it," he voiced. "If they really need help, we'll jump in."

"But-"

"They're fine, buddy." Monferno looked at the other chimp and winked. "Trust me." Chimchar looked at him with wonder, and then at his teammate and his partner. Right now Torterra was just watching as Umbreon and Purugly clashed, with the former using Faint Attack and the latter using Aerial Ace.

At least, it  _looked_ like Torterra was just watching.

"You know, I could  _really_ use some help right now!" the black cat requested with an annoyed tone.

"I still need to recharge from using Frenzy Plant and missing," the continent Pokémon replied calmly.

"You've been at that for, like, 20 hours!" Umbreon exclaimed as she jumped back.

"It has been five minutes."

"It's called hyperbole, big guy."

"Just focus on dealing with her, I'll been done soon. Don't worry about me."

Umbreon clashed her Faint Attack with Aerial Ace again and then jumped on top of Torterra's back, near his head. "And let you get hit with a super effective move? No way, Mister."

Torterra chuckled. "I appreciate your concern, but I've taken worse."

The feline growled aggressively at the other advancing feline. "Fine. If you say you'll be okay, I should trust you. But the second you recover from that cool off time, fire a Leaf Storm."

"It's never a good idea to tell the enemy your plans!" Purugly advised smugly as she got closer.

The Continent Pokémon nodded. "Go get her."

"On it!" Umbreon jumped and spun, making her tail glow silver and slammed the ground in front of Purugly with Iron Tail, stopping her in her tracks. Haley's Pokémon growled again. "You aren't getting near him," she threatened.

The Tiger Cat Pokémon smirked. "So he can make me faint and let you little pests win? Not a chance."

"Why are you doing this?!" Umbreon asked as she charged, forcing Purugly to jump back. "This is wrong! Can't you see Electivire and Luxray are suffering?!"

"My master commands they gather energy, and so they shall," Purugly answered.

"That's it?! Your fellow comrades-"

"The hell do I care? They're just tools."

Umbreon growled. "Umbreon, I'm ready," Torterra said.

"Hit it!" the Moonlight Pokémon ordered. The tree glowed green, and then leaves fired from it.

"Hmph." Purugly jumped to the side. "You missed again." Then she noticed Umbreon's glowing blue eyes and her smirk.

"Not this time, heartless bitch," she replied hauntingly. Purugly gasped and began to run away from the Psychic-controlled leaves, but eventually it was no use.

* * *

  **(A/N: Back to human perspective. Yay!)**

* * *

 "Purugly!" Mars shouted as her last Pokémon fainted. She called all three of them back, let out a growl, but then calmed down. "Oops," she said, as if she didn't really care. "I messed that one up. No matter, though. Not like it changes anything, though."

"You're out of Pokémon, of course it does!" Haley exclaimed as all six Pokémon looked at the commander with serious expressions.

"Really?" Mars chuckled. "See, I have a full team of grunts I can call here at any time. What made you think I would leave if I lost? You're children. Did you think you would scare me enough for me to shit my pants and run in a need of a change of clothes?"

Paul grunted. Then he got an idea. He hoped it worked, because either way, Haley would be pissed. "Oh trust me, you'll be running for that change of clothes pretty soon," he said with a smirk.

Mars laughed. "Kid, none of your threats will scare me that bad," she stated.

"Whoever said it would be from a threat?" While everyone was in confusion from that statement, Paul quickly dug into Haley's backpack, getting slight protest out of her. He felt his target and pulled it out.

"Paul, now is not the time for a snack," Haley told him as she stared at the honey jar.

"Hey Mars, what's so great about honey?" Paul asked, sounding smug.

"Huh?" both females said.

With a strong throw, the honey jar fell at Mars' feet, shattering open and splattering the substances all over her leggings. She had a shocked, angry look on her face. Umbreon, now understanding what Paul meant, used Psychic to gather the honey on the floor and smeared it on the rest of it on the Team Galactic Commander's clothing. Mars let out something that sounded like a scream, a squeal, and a cry of frustration all at once. "My clothes!" she exclaimed. "Ew, this is gross! I hate honey!" She turned to one of the grunts. "You! Call everyone else and tell them we're moving out, now!"

"But, Commander-"

"We have enough electricity, and the police will probably be here soon!" Mars snapped. "Recall them and let's go!"

He didn't reply. "...Yes, ma'am."

"What are doing with that electricity?" Haley demanded again.

"I told you before, you won't understand," Mars replied calmly despite her obvious discomfort. "But I can say this:  _We're trying to create a new world that's better than this one._ "

The two teens and their Pokémon were so shocked that they didn't lift a finger when Mars and her grunts ran out of the building with their stolen energy.

...

"We can't thank you two enough," one of the workers told the partners. After they had recovered from their trance, Paul and Haley searched the buildings to eventually find the workers behind a locked door thanks to Umbreon's sensitive hearing.

"You're welcome," Haley replied. "Sorry we couldn't stop them from stealing energy, though."

"The important thing is that everyone is safe," Officer Jenny, who had arrived a minute or two after everyone was on the grounds, stated. "So let me get this right: the group that stole the energy went by the name of Team Galactic." Both teens nodded. "Did they happen to say why they needed the energy?"

Paul shook his head and said, "No." At least it was true in a way. Mars never said specifically why they needed the energy. Still, he didn't have a full understanding by what she had meant by creating a new world. He didn't want to answer questions he didn't fully know himself.

"Is there any way we can repay you?" a middle-aged man asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Haley thought. "This may sound silly," she began, "but all we need is a jar of honey."

The former hostages and Officer Jenny blinked. "That's it?" the man asked.

"This idiot broke the last one," Haley stated, jerking her thumb at Paul.

"It made her leave, so I don't see the problem," Paul stated nonchalantly.

"That costed money, you half-wit!" Haley snapped. Her partner just shrugged, succeeding in making Haley even more furious. She huffed and crossed her arms, pouting. "Fine. But you didn't have to use the honey. I know you're not a huge fan of it, but you could have used water."

 _If I figured that would have worked, I would,_ Paul thought,  _but no one's going to complain about a splash of water._ He sighed mentally in sadness.  _You don't how painful it was to waste that jar. All of that sweet, sweet honey...gone..._ "Well, if it's honey you want, I can give you two jars," the middle-aged man told the partners.

"R-REALLY?!" Haley exclaimed. If there wasn't a huge crowd, Paul would have been drooling.

"Of course," the man stated with a smile. "I am a Combee keeper, and I make the honey around here." Haley's eyes sparkled, and Paul was starting to lose what little self-control he had.

"I'll keep an eye out for Team Galactic," Officer Jenny reported, bringing Paul back to reality.  _My savior!_ Paul cried. "Thank you for your hard work." With a salute of gratitude, she got back on her motorcycle and sped off.

Meanwhile, the Combee keeper dug through his bag and gave two jars of honey to the duo. Haley exclaimed a thank you while Paul bowed but on the inside was panting like a Growlithe. He was such a child when he started thinking about sweets, and he kind of wished there was a way to stop it. With the jars in Haley's backpack, the girl waved goodbye as Paul walked off. Haley caught up with him as the two entered Route 205 and headed towards Eterna Forest. "Man, what a day!" Haley exclaimed. "And it's not even sundown yet! How is that possible?"

"And that's why I didn't want to stay the night," Paul said. "I figured we could get even closer to Diablo City today. It'll make up for being sidetracked at the Jubilife TV station."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!" Haley defended. "They  _dragged_ me in there!"

"Just like you dragged me into that café?" the purple-haired boy pointed out. Haley was about to retaliate when Paul quickly reached into her backpack and pulled out of the jars like before. He finally gave into his urges. He unscrewed the lid. "Of course, I'm extremely glad you did. I actually have a major sweet tooth." He scooped some of the substance with his finger and licked it. Haley's mouth dropped wide open. "Remember this morning when I asked what was so great about honey? I kind of answered it for myself. It's very sweet and therefore very tasty. And you want to know what else is so great about it?"

"What?"

Paul screwed the lid back on and gave the jar back to her. He smirked. "It's one of the greatest weapons against women I've ever seen."

Haley blushed.


	6. Waxing Darkness

"Ugh,  _FINALLY_!" Haley sighed and flopped onto the grass.

Paul grumbled. "It wasn't that bad," he argued calmly.

"We got  _fucking lost_ because you wouldn't ask for directions!" Haley snapped. "If I hadn't asked the local Pokémon by saying to nod or shake to my questions, we'd probably still be wandering around, most likely until night time. Then we would have to stay in Eterna Forest until morning."

"So?"

"I don't know about you, but when I hear rumors of a haunted mansion in a forest," Paul ears perked, "I don't feel like staying. Not that I'm really afraid of ghosts, but people have been saying that mansion is barely standing. I hate that shit!"

"Wh-where did you hear these rumors?" Paul asked.

Haley stood up, dug through her backpack and pulled out her blue Pokégear. It was the newest version, and it looked sort of like a flip phone but opened like a Pokédex. She pointed at the top screen. "On the map function, it gives fun facts, although some aren't all that fun," she explained. Then she looked at Paul and blinked. "Why? Something wrong?"

He flinched before quickly walking towards Diablo. "N-no reason," he said.  _Damn it, I'm being too obvious,_ he thought.  _She can already read me like a book, and I'm just making it worse._

His partner watched him go, shrugged, put her Pokégear back, and ran after him. They continued down the path and quickly saw Diablo City. The city had a mix between old fashion and modern architecture. It was kind of like Ecruteak City, but it also felt darker while the Johto city had felt nobler. And with the newfound knowledge of the haunted mansion rumor, the city seemed even darker, making Paul shiver. "Are you cold?" Haley asked. Then she shivered herself. "Guess it's understandable. It is really chilly."

 _She's either avoiding it for my sake or for once she can't tell,_ Paul noted. "Well, just over those mountains is Route 217, where it constantly snows," he explained aloud.

"It does?" Haley stated. "Looks like I'm going to have to buy some sort of gear before we go."

"You have plenty of time for that," Paul replied. "Come on, let's go to the Pokémon Center and then to the Gym."

"You don't want to get some sleep before?"

 _Thanks to your information, there is no way I'm sleeping now._ "Yeah," he said and began to walk to the building with the red roof, Haley following right after him.

After ten minutes at the Pokémon Center, both parties were healed. Then, thanks to directions from Nurse Joy, the partners found the Diablo Gym, which looked a lot like the Ecruteak Gym, except with a black roof instead of purple. Without hesitation, Paul opened the sliding door to find a dark room except for the middle of the battlefield. A circle of candles was lit, with a girl sitting in the middle of it, meditating. She had a black jumpsuit that went down to the middle of her shins and a purple sash in the middle. She also wore purple flats. Her carmine red hair was shining in the dim light, although Paul couldn't help but think of how much of a contrast it was. "I have been expecting you, Paul," the Gym Leader said calmly without opening her eyes.

"You...were?" Haley asked.

"I see you still speak for him," she continued.

They blinked. "H-how-"

"My ability to see the past and future," she explained. "I saw you would be coming and I wanted to know about your journey through Sinnoh thus far." Her eyes opened, revealing their crimson color. She stood up and snapped her fingers. Torches in each of the four corners and the candles on the chandelier above lit with purple flames, lifting the dark curtain. Paul noticed the back wall was covered side-to-side and all the way to the ceiling with books. "My name is Luna, and I am the Dark type Gym Leader of Diablo City."

Haley clapped. "Congrats, you're the only one," she said dully.

"I expected you to be happy, since your favorite type is Dark," Luna replied. "As is your favorite Pokémon and your first. Am I wrong in any way?"

The Trainer looked down. "No," she stated quietly. "I guess I'm just annoyed there aren't more Dark type Gyms."

"It makes me feel unique," Luna revealed. "Now Paul, would you like to begin?"

"Wait," he said. "If you said you can read the future, does that mean you know what moves I'll use? Do you know the outcome?"

Luna stared blankly. Then she proceeded to extinguish all of the candles in the middle of the battlefield to store them. "I fight fair," she answered. "Any further questions?"

"Where's the ref?" Haley asked.

"Here I am!" a young girl exclaimed in a bubbly voice, muffled by the door she was behind. She opened the door that was on the left side of the field. She wore a pink dress, white leggings, and pink slip-ons. She also had curly blonde hair and a pink bow on top. The young girl seemed out of place in the Dark type Gym, especially with her bright, shining golden eyes.

Haley blinked. " _She's_ the referee? She's only, like, five!"

The girl cleared her throat. "I'm six!" she declared boldly, causing Haley to form a sweat drop and Paul to roll his eyes. "My name is Alice, and yes, I am the referee! So you better treat me with respect!"

"My cousin has a mind that is a few years above her physical body," Luna explained in a monotone voice. Alice nodded twice in triumph. "Now if you two are out of questions, shall we proceed?"

Paul got on the right side, the challenger's side, and the Gym Leader took her place opposite of him. Haley sat on her knees on a mat on the opposite side of the door, next to Alice. "The battle between the Diablo City Gym Leader Luna and the challenger Paul from Veilstone City is about to get underway!" Alice exclaimed happily.

"Wait, how do you know I'm from Veilstone?" Paul asked.

Luna didn't answer. Then Paul remembered.  _She can see the past and future,_ he thought.  _Probably found out what city I'm from when watching one of my past battles and then told her cousin._ "The battle will be a 3-on-3, and when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue the challenge will be over! In addition, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon!" She raised both hands with a giant smile on her face. "Now let the battle begin!"

"Houndoom, come forth," Luna said in her monotone voice. The Dark-Fire type emerged from its Poké Ball and roared.

"Chimchar, stand by for battle!" Paul shouted. The chimp popped out and went into a fighting position.

The Gym Leader closed her eyes. "Your Chimchar," she mused. "Yes, I have seen why it is so special. I know why you bring it into battle." She opened her eyes. "Very well. As the challenger, you may go first."

"Dig!" Paul ordered without a second thought. Chimchar jumped and dug into the ground.

"Be ready," Luna stated. Houndoom braced itself, but when Chimchar came out of the ground, it did not expect the strength of the small Pokémon's throw and was flung into the air. "Houndoom," the Gym Leader said with slight concern, but it was very tiny. It was probably the most emotion she had shown all day.

"Scratch!" Chimchar let up and began to hurt the bigger Pokémon with his claws, which sent Houndoom crashing to the ground.

Luna waited Chimchar to land and then called her own attack. "Dark Pulse." Despite its injuries, Houndoom executed the attack with ease, and Chimchar barely had time to dodge, getting nicked on the back as he jumped out of the way. The slight impact caused Chimchar to roll a bit. Paul grunted, making Chimchar flinch at what he knew would come later.

* * *

 

**(A/N: Pokémon voices again.)**

* * *

 

Houndoom watched the chimp get up. "I see the fear in your eyes," he noted with a smirk.

"I don't fear you!" Chimchar exclaimed angrily.

The Dark-Fire type snickered. "Who ever said I thought you were afraid of me?" he asked evilly. Chimchar began to tremble slightly, though whether it was from anger or fear, not even he knew. "Your Trainer. You're afraid of him scolding you." He chuckled. "You fear he will abandon you if you don't live up to his expectations. You fear he no longer believes in you, like everyone else use to."

Chimchar felt his blood boil and beginning to race. "Shut up," he mumbled. "Shut UP!" Without really thinking, he released fire from his mouth and enveloped himself in it. Then he lunged at the taunting Pokémon, who was now still in shock from the sudden, unordered attack.

* * *

 

**(A/N: Back to normal.)**

* * *

 

"That's Fire Spin," Paul mumbled. Then he remembered Houndoom's ability. "Chimchar, stop!" But the chimp was too angry and hit Houndoom straight on. Paul was about to curse his Pokémon out, when he noticed Houndoom wasn't absorbing the fire, but rather taking damage from it. Apparently it had Early Bird and not Flash Fire. The challenger decided to take advantage of the opponent being trapped in a vortex of flames. "Use Dig again!" he ordered.

Chimchar was taken aback for learning a new move out of the blue when he landed, but as soon as Paul gave his order he snapped out of it and jumped into the floor. He quickly reemerged, sending Houndoom flying again, and when it hit the ground, everyone saw that it had fainted.

"Houndoom has fainted, which means Chimchar is the winner!" Alice exclaimed.

Paul expected his childish Pokémon to cheer like he always did, but he didn't. In fact, he still looked angry.  _What exactly did Houndoom say to Chimchar that made him so...different?_ Paul thought, recalling the Pokémon chatter that had occurred after Chimchar recovered from the Dark Pulse.  _Wouldn't it be the most convenient thing if someone could understand Pokémon?_ "Chimchar, re-" His Pokémon turned to him with anger and determination in his eyes. Then he started chattering and shaking his head. He...wanted to stay and fight? This was new. Chimchar was usually timid, and after battling once he was perfectly fine going back into his Poké Ball. "Ursaring is up next, your time is-"

* * *

 

**(A/N: Here again.)**

* * *

 

He knew Paul couldn't understand him. But he decided to shout at him as if he could anyway. "What, so I'm really not good enough?!" he cried, placing his right hand over his heart. Paul stepped back, obviously not use to Chimchar yelling at him. And truthfully, Chimchar was scaring himself, but at this moment, he didn't care. "You think I'm done after one battle, don't you?! That I'm too weak to fight another one?! Is that it?! Well I  _am_ strong enough! I...can...still...FIGHT!" His tail of fire bursting out into much stronger flames accompanied the last word. They went out ten seconds later, and Chimchar looked at his Trainer with the same stare he had been wearing.

Paul looked at Chimchar, his mouth open. But then it closed and transformed into a smirk. "I guess you're more determined than I thought," he said.  _So...so does that mean..._ "Still, I promised Ursaring he would be used in this battle, and I'm not about to go back on that." Chimchar's face dropped slightly as his Trainer pulled out his Poké Ball. "But if Ursaring goes down, then I'll bring you back out. Not that I believe that will actually happen."

Chimchar smiled a little.  _Better than nothing,_ he thought as he was beamed back in.

* * *

 

**(A/N: And back again. Last time for this chapter, I promise.)**

* * *

 

"Ursaring, stand by for battle!" Paul shouted, sending his next Pokémon out. The bear let out a roar.

Luna took out her next Poké Ball. "Honchkrow, come forth," she said. The Big Boss Pokémon emerged and simply stretched its wings. It seemed to have the same personality as its Trainer: deadpan and serious, which was a contrast of the proud and ruthless nature of other Honchkrow. "Night Slash." Honchkrow's wing lit up with a purple glow as it flew towards Ursaring.

"Dodge, then Hammer Arm!" Paul ordered. Ursaring sidestepped and pounded Honchkrow on the back with his glowing right arm. "Back up and use Hyper Beam!" Ursaring jumped back and fired the yellow-and-orange beam, which hit the big bird and sent it into the wall next to the front door. Paul thought for sure it was knocked out after that, but Honchkrow pulled itself back and stretched out its wings.

"Wing Attack," Luna ordered in her deadpan voice. Honchkrow flew at Ursaring, who couldn't do anything thanks to the recharging Hyper Beam required. So he ended up getting slapped around with nothing he could do.

Chimchar then popped out with his own free will and chanted at Paul. "Not yet, Chimchar!" Paul barked. But the chimp pointed at Ursaring and chattered some more, showing that not only did Ursaring not have much time left before he fainted, but also how determined Chimchar wanted to fight.  _But why? Why is he so determined to fight in this battle?_ Then Paul remembered how he grunted at Chimchar getting nicked by Dark Pulse, and it seemed right after that Chimchar had a new fire in him.  _Is he...trying to prove something to me?_ He remembered how many times he had called the Pokémon before him weak. Perhaps all of that had finally caught up with him. Paul smirked at him again. "Fine. You win. But you better prove that I made the right decision." Chimchar gave one curt nod. There was no smile, no happiness shining in his eyes, just pure determination. "Ursaring, return!" Paul shouted as he recalled him. He looked down at Chimchar. "Go." The chimp didn't hesitate.

"I am surprised," Luna stated, though her voice didn't portray anything near surprise. "I never expected you to do such a favor for Chimchar."

The challenger smirked. "I couldn't refuse such enthusiasm," he replied. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Haley had on a very big smile. It was clear Torterra and Chimchar were her favorites on Paul's team, so to see the chimp up again probably made her very happy. "Chimchar, Flame Wheel!" he shouted. Chimchar ran and then turned himself into a ball of fire and went straight for his opponent. It was a direct hit, but Paul wasn't going to wait for Honchkrow to recover again. "Ember!" Chimchar canceled out of his wheel and fired rapidly, hitting Honchkrow directly again. The Dark-Flying type fell to the ground, fainted.

"Honchkrow has fainted, which means Chimchar is the winner!" Alice exclaimed, sounding even more excited (if that was possible).

"Way to go, Chimchar!" Haley cheered, finally saying something since the battle began.

For once, Paul smiled after a win, though it was very small.  _Perhaps he has the potential I once saw after all,_ he thought. "Got that out of your system?" he asked. Chimchar looked at him and nodded, smiling a little as well. "Good. As much as I want you to get stronger, I don't want you hogging all of the attention. Return." He brought out Chimchar's Poké Ball, and this time Chimchar went in without any sort of retaliation.

"Mightyena, come forth." Luna's last Pokémon emerged with a slight growl. "I would bring out your Torterra," Luna advised. "Your other Pokémon will not be able to win."

"Is that a fact?" Paul questioned. Still, he hadn't used Torterra since his quarter final (and last) battle in the Ever Grande Conference, and Paul decided it was time to let Torterra participate in an official battle again. "Torterra, standby for battle!" The Continent Pokémon appeared.

"Tor-terra!" he cried.

Luna breathed in and closed her eyes as she exhaled. "I peered into the past to watch your Torterra fight," the Gym Leader stated. "So strong. When I saw you coming to challenge me, I thought yes, this would be the day I could fight such a powerful Pokémon." She opened her eyes. "I ask that you show me my thoughts were never wrong." Mightyena crouched into a hunting position, reminding Paul of his battle with Haley. He wondered if Luna had surprises up her sleeve like his partner.

"Paul, that Mightyena is specially bred!" Haley suddenly exclaimed.

 _Like Prinplup,_ Paul thought.  _That means it has a move you wouldn't normally see. Against a Grass-Ground type_ ,  _and it has fangs...Ice Fang!_ "Torterra, get ready!" he said.

"Good deducing," Luna stated. "And you are correct. Go." Mightyena pounced, its fangs glowing icy blue.

 _Wait...wait...NOW!_ "Giga Drain!" Paul ordered. Torterra summoned the green vines from his back and caught the black-and-gray wolf. "Now, Leaf Storm!" The tree glowed a familiar green, and leaves shot out, cutting Mightyena. Torterra let go, and his opponent was sent flying back.

Luna watched her Pokémon flop onto the ground but pick itself back up. "Shadow Ball," she ordered.

"Brace yourself!" Torterra did so as Shadow Ball hit him, causing smoke to blind him. "It's going to use the smoke as cover," Paul whispered. "Hear its footsteps and then use Frenzy Plant." Torterra nodded and concentrated. He heard Mightyena running, and then it used its powerful legs to jump up, presumably using Ice Fang again. But it wouldn't get the chance once more as Torterra unleashed the vines, sending Mightyena flying back, and this time when it hit the ground, it fainted.

"Mightyena has fainted, which means the winner is Torterra!" Alice pointed her right hand at Paul. "That means the challenger Paul is the victor!"

"Nice going!" Haley exclaimed, jumping up from her mat.

Luna walked over to her challenger. "I saw this outcome," she said.

"But you said you fight fair," Paul stated as he recalled Torterra.

"I only see who wins, not how or why." She dug into her sash and pulled out a badge, which was purple with a white fang in the center. "Here is your prize, the Fang Badge."

"Why the Fang Badge?" Haley asked as she ran over to study. "I always figured a Dark type Gym would have a much more...darker-sounding badge name and design."

"Mightyena was my first Pokémon, and I have always wanted to name it Shadowfang," she replied in her monotone voice.  _That sounds way too childish for someone like you!_ both Paul and Haley thought, a sweat drop forming on the latter.

"Congratulations, Paul!" Alice exclaimed in her bubbly voice. "It's been a while since my cousin lost!"

"It has also been a while since anyone has come to this Gym," Luna stated. "Mainly because-"

"It's in a secluded location?" Haley guessed.

"They could always go to Eterna," Paul stated.

"They find it too scary," Luna answered. That's  _why?!_ the Trainers thought. Paul sighed. This Gym Leader was too confusing. He turned to leave with Haley following behind him. "Wait Paul, there is something I need to tell you," Luna stated. The victor stopped. "I sense darkness approaching you. Something from your past is trying to find you."

Paul felt his blood freeze. "What does that mean?" Haley asked.

"Probably nothing," Paul replied quickly. "Let's go." He walked quickly, pretty sure about what the Gym Leader was talking about, but he didn't want Haley, who was trying her best to keep up with him, to hear.  _I'll speak with her tonight, when Haley's asleep,_ he decided.

"Paul, is something wrong?" Haley inquired as she finally caught up with him just before they entered the Pokémon Center.

The boy shook his head. "No. What makes you say that?"

"You seem...spooked. And a bit pale. Not to mention you seem to have fear in your eyes."

Her partner shook his head again. "I think for once your eyesight is wrong," he stated.  _At least...I wish it were..._

For the rest of the day, Paul was antsy, waiting for night to fall. Haley tried to coax out whatever was eating at him, but he refused to tell her. About an hour or two later, back at the Gym, Luna was meditating once more. "You think he'll come back?" her cousin asked, setting Luna's dinner in front of her.

"He will," she replied, her eyes opening when she heard the bowl tap the floor. "He is curious and scared, and if he does not get answers he will feel like he will explode."

"Hmm..." Alice mumbled. A few more hours past, and it was around 9:30. "Will he be here soon?" the six-year-old asked.

Luna peered into time. "In exactly thirty minutes," she reported. "He is waiting to make sure Haley is definitely asleep since she would scold him, thinking he is going out for late night training again."

Alice giggled. "Cousin, may I stay or should I not be here?" she inquired.

"You may stay behind the door, but you must not show yourself or make a sound," Luna informed her. "This is very personal to him, and he wishes for no one to know."

"Okay," Alice grumbled. She sat down. A few minutes later, she said, "Can you tell me what it is?"

"Alice, you will hear about it when we talk in 25 minutes," her older cousin stated.

Alice groaned, impatient. 20 minutes later, Luna told her to go behind the door. "I still wish I could be out here," the young girl grumbled as she opened the door and slipped into the darkness.

Paul, meanwhile, was walking quickly to the Gym. The main doors to the Pokémon Center had closed, so he had to go down from the balcony with Murkrow carrying him from the third floor to the ground. He told Murkrow to wait on the railing and then was on his way. The streetlights helped guide his way, but they might as well had been turned off. The hotness and the feeling of Butterfrees were back, and no amount of light was going to make it go away. He was now in front of the Gym again, and this time he had to take a breath before slowly opening the door. It was exactly like when he had opened the door earlier, except Luna was sitting on her knees instead of crisscrossed. "Is Alice here?" Paul asked.

"No," the Gym Leader lied. "Sit." She stuck out an open palm, pointing to the space right outside the circle of candles. Paul walked up and sat on his knees as well. A silence hug in the air, and he gulped.

"So...what did you mean earlier today?" he asked. Forget Butterfrees, now it was Yanmas.

"I see something from your past," Luna said.

"I already fucking know that, damn it!" Paul shouted. "Tell me  _what_ from my past!"

Luna didn't flinch at her visitor's raised voice. "Four," she replied.

"What?"

"I see four. I'm sure- no, I _know_ that means something to you."

Paul began to shake. He knew it. He knew this is what she would say. Yet he refused to believe it. "No," he whispered. "Impossible. It's been five years! Why would they-"

"You know as well as I do how persistent they are when it comes to you," Luna interrupted. "They heard you came back to the region and decided to find you."

"But why me?!" Paul exclaimed. He was losing his cool, and he hated how that would happen every time he thought of them. "What's so special about me that they want to make sure I'm miserable?!"

"I cannot answer what I do not know," the Gym Leader replied. "I have searched through their pasts, knowing you would ask that question, but I saw nothing as to why they would pick you specifically. However, I can say why they bully; all of them are abused by someone in their family, and so they take it out on others."

Paul was breathing irregularly through clenched teeth. "How...how do I avoid them?"

"You cannot," Luna stated. "I see that you will try, but no matter what they will find you. It will happen when you are alone. You and Haley will be separated, and then they will find you."

"You're wrong!" Paul shouted, jumping to his feet. The only reaction he got was Luna opening her eyes. "I can and I will!"

Luna looked straight ahead and sighed. "I knew you would argue," she said. "Very well. Do as you wish." Paul, still shaking, spun around and stomped towards the door. "One more thing." He stopped. "I also see the haunted mansion in Eterna Forest, although I do not know why. After they find you, it goes blank for me. You will have to find out the future on your own."

"They won't find me!" Paul insisted one more time before slamming the door behind him.

A few moments passed before Alice slowly opened the door. She walked over to her cousin. "Poor Paul," she said softly.

Luna looked at the door. "Yes," she agreed. "To see someone force themselves to grow up and build up a barrier over their heart as he has...it always breaks mine."

Paul was now running, and then stopped at a light post not far from the Pokémon Center, panting and shaking. "I won't..." he panted desperately. He slid down the post and ruffled his hair with his hand. "I won't let them." Murkrow flew down, and was scared to find the blank, empty yet fearful expression in his Trainer's eyes. Paul looked at him. "I won't let them," he repeated one more time before Murkrow quickly grabbed his wrist and flew him to the balcony.

This wasn't Paul he knew, the Paul that caught him in the Johto region. And for once, Murkrow wished he would go back to his scolding, harsh ways.

...

Haley was totally confused the next morning. Usually Paul would insist on moving on without seeing any of the sights, but this morning he was. Diablo Beach was one, not that there was anything but giant rocks that where constantly assaulted by the waves. She noticed an island far, far out in the distance before a layer of fog obstructed the little view she had.  _I feel sorry for anyone who gets shipwrecked there,_ she thought.  _You can't see the beach from there, and therefore no way of knowing there's a civilization over here._ "Let's go check out the rest of the city," Paul stated, starting to walk away.

"Paul, what-"

"Is there something wrong with resting once in a while?" he interrupted.

His partner walked after him. "No," she said quietly. "I guess not."

She expected to leave the next day, but apparently there was still more to see, not to mention Paul insisted she look for something to wear on Route 217, despite his protests to do so the day they got to the city. But when Haley looked around the store, there was nothing she liked. "Are you sure you checked everything?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, nothing," Haley said. "Come on, we should get moving-" Paul interrupted her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Th-there's no reason to go right now," he told her.

Haley looked at him. "Paul...you're scaring me," she said quietly and being completely honest. "Please...tell me what's wrong."

Paul slowly took his hand away. "N-nothing's wrong," he insisted.

"Okay, then why don't we-"

"Tomorrow!" he blurted out, attracting stares from people in the store. Haley expected him to ignore them as he always did, but this time he seemed to shrink under their looks. "Tomorrow," he said again, whispering this time. "If you really want to go, then let's get some sleep."

His partner blinked at his strange reaction. "A-alright," she said.

That night at the Pokémon Center, Haley couldn't sleep. She was watching Paul, whose breathing was irregular. Yet when she quietly got up, she noticed he was sleeping despite of it. Something was wrong, very wrong. She looked at his belt and silently picked it up.  _I need answers,_ she told herself and walked down to the lobby so she wouldn't wake anyone.

The next morning, Paul did not look rested. Yet now he insisted they start moving. Everything about Paul was freaking Haley out, and she still hadn't gotten her answers. When the pair reentered Eterna Forest, it was definitely different from when they traveled through it the first time. Paul was paranoid, so much so Haley wondered if there was stronger word to use. Every twig that snapped, every rustle of leaves, even the cries of the forest Pokémon caused Paul to jump. Haley thought he was acting like a scared child. Even the strange act of licking honey with his finger that he had done didn't compare to this strange behavior. "Paul, nothing is going to hurt you," she stated, trying to reassure him. That only made things worse.

"You don't know that!" he snapped, his eyes wide and filled with fear he was obviously trying to conceal. Suddenly they heard the cry of a Dustox, making Paul jump once more.

Haley didn't know what to do. "Maybe we should just relax for the rest of the day," she advised. "You didn't get enough sleep last night, I can tell. Try getting some more."

Paul was taking shaking breaths, but was able to nod. "Okay, okay," he said quietly.

They found a small clearing, and while Haley made something for dinner, Paul laid down on his sleeping bag. "Shoot, I'm out of Oran Berries," Haley noted. "I'll be right back. I saw some along the path back a ways and-"

"Send Staravia!" Paul suddenly cried, sitting up.

Now Haley was even more confused, if that was possible. "O-okay." She opened up the Poké Ball, and the Starling Pokémon shook out her body. "There are some Oran Berries along that path a little ways," Haley told her. "We need some. Think you can fetch some for us?"

"Star," the Flying type replied, nodding. Then she took off into the skies.

Her Trainer watched her go, and then sighed. "Paul, please, I can't help you with whatever problem you have if you don't tell me," she begged.

This time Paul didn't reply right away. "It doesn't concern you," he finally said quietly and sadly.

"Yes it does!" Haley shouted, exasperated. "It's what Luna said the other day, isn't it? What's coming back from your past? Is there any chance you could get hurt? Could I get hurt? Any of our Pokémon?"

Paul didn't answer at all this time. Haley rubbed her temples. Staravia came back quickly, and the girl finished making dinner. Because Paul seemed out of it, she released his Pokémon for him, who all looked very concerned for their usually cool, collected Trainer. Haley's Pokémon also looked at him with worry, all of them sensing something was very wrong with him. Yet, no one said a word throughout dinner, and they all decided to stay out of their Poké Balls for the night.

When everyone woke up the next morning, they noticed Paul seemed better, his color coming back and his paranoia fading, but only slightly. He seemed much calmer and much more rested, so Haley let her guard down.

She shouldn't have.

After breakfast and returning their Pokémon, the two Trainers began their trek towards Eterna City again. It went on in silence, and even the noises that had made Paul jump yesterday didn't do so as much today. He scanned the forest, relaxing a little. And then he noticed a shadow. It was too big for one of the forest Pokémon. It had to be a human, and his eyes widened. Then he sighed.  _No, no it's not them,_ he thought.  _Stop being so jump-_ "Hey, did you see another human here?" a voice asked, sounding far away. But he still recognized it.

Paul bolted without thinking.

"Hey!" Haley shouted after him, but Paul wasn't listening. He just had to get away...that was all he could think about. He didn't even remember the warning that he would be found when separated until he tripped on a tree root. He picked himself up and looked around. His belt with his Pokémon was gone, but more importantly, so was Haley.

"No, no, no!" Paul panicked, scanning the forest in hopes that he could find her. But he couldn't even find the path. Without a map he didn't even know which way was north. For all he knew he was heading back towards Floaroma Town. The logical part of his mind told him to stay put since if he kept walking he would get even more separated from his partner. But they were out there, and if he stayed in one place they would surely find him. He decided to continue walking and even if he found his way towards Floaroma instead, he could get directions. He only took three steps.

"Hello, Polly," a voice came from behind, making him freeze.


	7. Haunting

Paul whipped around, and his heart rate skyrocketed. His breathing quickened as well, and he backed up, only to trip over another tree root. He scrambled and turned around but when he stood up, strong arms caught him. "Let me go!" Paul screamed.

The voice laughed. "Why?" he asked. "It's been so long. I thought you missed us, Polly." The captive gulped. He was put down and turned around, but it was definitely not out of kindness. It was so that they could see his fear.

The gang of four had no name, but Paul had given them one a long time ago: The Nightmare Gang. Why? Because that's what they gave him.

Braxton, on the far left, wore a black shirt with an electricity pattern in the middle, black gloves, blue jeans, and black sneakers. He was the brains and inventor. He once invented something that sent 20,000 volts through his system. He was surprised after that he wasn't afraid of Electric types. Braxton also loved setting up traps to capture Paul for the gang's torment.

Zach, next to Braxton, was the crazy kid. His brown hair and messy clothes showed that, not to mention the crazy look on his face that made it look like he was always on a sugar high. He loved popping up out of nowhere and scaring Paul right into another one of the members. Zach even managed to scare him once into a river in the middle of winter, making Paul stay cooped up in his house for a week.

Chase, the kid on the right (fitting since he was the leader's right hand man), had an appropriate name. He was the fastest kid in Veilstone, only matched by Paul, who had to become fast to evade him. He was there to make sure the tormented kid never got too far away. Today he wore a navy blue hoodie and jogging shorts. Paul knew he was the one who had spotted him before, and then he had reported it to the boss, the one standing in the middle, right in front of Paul.

Jason.

If Paul had been the one to write the dictionary, Jason's face would be right next to the word "nightmare". He was two years older than him, and much bigger and buffer, meaning he was the one who laid down most of the physical pain, though the other boys occasionally joined in. And while the other could mess with him mentally, no one was better than Jason.  _He_ was the reason Paul was hostile to most people and Pokémon.  _He_ was the reason why he only cared for strong opponents (well, mostly). And  _he_ was one of the many reasons why Paul had left on his journey. The purple-haired boy thought after five years they would forget him and move on.

With the evil smiles that were on their faces, they clearly hadn't.

"So," Jason began, "what are you doing out here in Eterna Forest all by yourself?" Paul was at least glad they hadn't seen Haley; otherwise she would probably be hurt, too.

"Has Polly grown up while he's been away?" Braxton asked, chuckling. "I hear there are ghosts in this forest, and we all know how our little Polly can't stand ghosts."

"Shut up!" Paul snapped.

Chase laughed. "Hey Jason, seems like he grew a tongue," he said.

"Really, let me see," Jason replied, suddenly reaching into Paul's mouth and pulling his tongue out. Paul grabbed Jason's arm with both of his hands and tried to pull him away, but it wasn't any use. "Oh, would you look at that, he did."

"Leh meh gah!" Paul shouted.

Jason laughed again. He let go of the muscle and then flung Paul over his shoulder like a shack of potatoes. "Come on, Polly. It's been so long. I thought the five of us could hang out together."

"We're going to some place special!" Zach exclaimed with a big grin. That could only mean bad news. "We saw this awesome mansion and thought you'd love it!"

They were taking him to the haunted mansion, and they were probably going to lock him in there, too. "No! NO! Put me down!" Paul shouted, kicking and screaming, praying that Haley would hear him.

"Maybe if you beg, I just might," Jason stated as he began to walk.

Paul knew begging would do nothing more than egg them on, not to mention the pride that he had built up over that last five years refused him to do so. Instead he continued to kick and scream. Braxton chuckled and slapped his left cheek and then his right. "Sorry, Polly, no one's coming this time," he said hauntingly. "Your big brother isn't here now."

But Haley was. And even if Braxton had been right, kicking and screaming were the only things he could do now. Maybe he would get lucky and somehow kick Jason hard enough to make the older boy drop him so he could run. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky, and they stopped without any interruptions. "Well Polly, what do you think?" Jason asked. "Cool  _haunted_ mansion, isn't it?"

The captive spun his head and his eyes widened. The mansion had a blood red roof and a dark brown body. All of the windows were boarded up, so even if Paul in his frozen state managed to stop banging at the door desperately, he wouldn't be jumping out of any windows. It didn't help that they were in a part of the forest where very little sunlight hit and that at this moment the leaves were swirling around it. "Of course," Braxton said, "ghosts aren't real, right? I'm sure you've learned that. You  _must_ have visited the Pokémon Tower and Mt. Pyre on your journey to become big and strong, right?"

Paul gulped. He hadn't, and it was their fault, they knew that. They had come up with stories of how all ghosts were evil and attacked and possessed little kids like him. At first he never believed them, but then he began having nightmares, and soon he developed a fear of ghosts, one the Nightmare Gang loved to exploit. When he had passed by the two burial grounds, despite the locals' pleas he had not stepped inside to pay respects for those who had passed. He was too scared. Suddenly Paul was jolted out of his thoughts when Jason lifted him over his head. Now Paul was looking at the wide open door, greeting him like something waiting to swallow him whole and never let him see the daylight again. "Tell us how it is," the boss said.

Their victim suddenly lost his voice even though he wanted to scream. He had frozen up despite wanting to struggle. Time seemed to slow, and it was as if he was starting at that gaping door for hours. But before he was tossed inside...

"What do you think you're doing to him?!"

 _Haley!_ She was here, just in time. But he still couldn't speak or move, though she sounded pissed.

The four boys turned their heads and looked at the girl, who looked as pissed as she sounded. "Oh, just playing with our old friend, Polly," Jason replied. "We haven't seen each other in five years and-" Haley was having none of that shit. She punched Jason in the middle of his back, causing him to lose grip on Paul, who tumbled to the ground.

"Hey, who do you think you are?" Chase shouted.

Haley brought out a Poké Ball. "Oh, you want to mess with me?!" she threatened. But Paul didn't give her the chance. He grabbed her wrist extremely tight and took off. "Paul, what-"

"Just run and don't look back!" he commanded, finding his voice. They ran far away from the mansion until Paul finally stopped in a clearing. After they caught their breath, Haley looked at him.

"Now can you tell me what's going on?" she asked.

Paul looked guilty. He didn't say a word, didn't move a muscle. Then he finally went to a tree and slid down the trunk, sitting down. But he still refused to speak. Haley found a seat on the grass across from him.  _I'll wait as long as it takes,_ she thought. "...They're bullies from my childhood," Paul finally spoke up. "I went to speak with Luna after you had fallen asleep the night of my Gym Battle. Luna said we would meet up, but I thought there was a way to avoid it."

"Is that why we stayed in Diablo City for so long?"

"...Yeah. And that's why I was so paranoid yesterday, and why I didn't want you to leave camp. Luna said they would find me when we were separated, so I didn't want you to leave. But then, this morning, I heard Chase, and whenever I hear any of them...I lose all rational thought. I just go into flight mode."

Haley looked at him. "They...must have done some horrible things...if they make you do that every time," she said.

"Horrible is putting it lightly," Paul said quietly. "They've abused me mentally, shocked me with 20,000 volts, pushed me into a river in the middle of winter, broken multiple bones multiple times, destroyed any toys I had, whipped me-"

"They whipped you?!"

Paul turned around and lifted his jacket and shirt, revealing old scars. "They've knifed me, too. And once...Jason almost...a-almost..."

"Stop," Haley said. "I think I know."

"Reggie saved me from that one," Paul stated, pushing his shirt and jacket back down and facing her again. He wanted to cry, but he had trained himself not to. The last time he had...four years ago. And he refused to ever do so again. "In fact, Reggie saved me from a lot of their attacks."

"I wish I had more than 'I'm sorry'," Haley told him.

"It's not your fault. I...really don't know who's to blame."

"At least you aren't blaming yourself."

"I did, when I was younger. But...Reggie stopped that, too." Paul sighed. "They're kind of the reason I'm what I am now. I probably would be...no, I  _would_ be making friends and not caring about strong opponents and Pokémon like Ash, but..."

"You want to make sure you're strong so they don't break you anymore."

"That was the idea. But today..."

Haley moved over to his side. "Look, you were caught off guard," she reassured. "You have your Pokémon," she showed him his belt that she had found, "and you have me. I'm your partner, Paul. I have your back, and I won't leave you." Then she laughed. "Well, unless you do something incredibly stupid."

Paul smiled, but it was very small. He closed his eyes, and without realizing it, he dozed off. When he woke up, the first thing that happened was the smell of Haley's cooking hitting his nose. "I...fell asleep?" he asked, confused.

His partner turned around, slightly surprised, but smiled. "Yeah. Guess you were exhausted. You slept the day away." Paul noticed everyone was out of their Poké Balls and that they were quiet, probably because they didn't want to wake him.

"That long, huh?" he chuckled. He stood up, only to be pushed gently back down.

"Just relax," Haley told him gently. "We'll take care of you tonight. Tomorrow you can be all callous and devoid of any emotion again." She winked.

Paul blinked, and then slowly began to laugh. It was a genuine laugh, one he hadn't heard from himself in years. Yet he liked it. Soon dinner was ready, and everyone began to eat. "Thanks," he said to his partner.

"I told you, I have your back," Haley responded. They ate in silence for a bit. "Hey, you wouldn't also happen to be afraid of ghosts?"

"I am," Paul admitted, sounding slightly cheerful. Probably because he no longer feared telling Haley his fears.

"They caused it, I bet?"

"Who else?" Suddenly Chimchar was in front of him, with surprised eyes.

"Whoa, I didn't expect that," Haley claimed. "I mean, they're all surprised, so why is Chimchar-"

"He's morbidly afraid of something as well," Paul explained. "And I was there to get him after."

Haley looked at Chimchar, smiled, and petted his head. "He probably thought you weren't afraid of anything, then," she noted. "Of course, you won't treat him any different, will you?"

"Chim," he replied, shaking his head and smiling. The rest of Paul's team agreed, making Paul give off a tiny smile. Then Haley yawned.

"Oh man," she said, running her eyes. "I'm so tired, I don't want to clean up." She stood up anyway. "But I know I have to. Come on, guys, let clean this up fast." Her Pokémon jumped up and helped her out. Paul would have, too, but he listened to Haley and just relaxed. Once everything was put away, the Trainers went under their sleeping bags. Haley yawned again. "See you in the morning," she said before falling asleep.

Paul didn't reply. He just looked around the clearing and smiled before falling asleep. For the second night in a row, the Pokémon were sleeping under the stars with them.

...

Sunlight. That's what woke him up from a peaceful sleep the next morning. He sat up and stretched, then looked around. Everyone was still asleep. He was glad everyone was there. He looked out into the forest and frowned. They were still out there, probably, and they were looking for him, most likely. He hated being afraid like a child, but he just couldn't help it.

Haley opened her eyes and noticed Paul was watching the forest and wasn't looking her way. She didn't want to scare him, so touching him or moving was out of the question. She even wondered if maybe she shouldn't speak, either, but what else could she do to grab his attention? "Paul," she said quietly.

Paul turned to her. She smiled. At least he hadn't jumped. "Morning," he said.

"They won't touch you again," she promised.

He looked at her and continued to do so as he lay back down. "I know," he stated. "Too bad it kind of makes me feel like a girl."

"Everyone has those moments and- hey, hey, no falling back asleep!" she scolded jokingly, punching him lightly as she sat up. He chuckled and sat up again as she stretched and everyone else began to stir. "Okay, today's the day we make it to Eterna City!" she declared.

"Prin-plup!" the Penguin Pokémon exclaimed, puffing his chest.

"Sorry, buddy, but Eterna Gym is a Grass type Gym," Haley informed. "You won't be participating this time." Prinplup looked dejected, to which Grotle comforted him.

"I say we get moving," Paul said as he stood up to put away his sleeping bag. "We've lost quite a bit of time."

"Oh, and whose fault is that?" Haley retorted, narrowing her eyes playfully. Paul just smirked, making her smile. He was recovering, which was a good thing.

After a quick snack for breakfast, the Pokémon were recalled and the duo set out again, back on the path. Of course, they had to be interrupted one more time by the Nightmare Gang, who was strangely down one member. When Paul saw them he tensed up slightly, but he tried keeping his cool. Haley had promised, and he knew she would keep it. "Hey, we need your help!" Jason said. That was new.

Haley narrowed her eyes. "Paul, let's forget these jokers," she said. She began to walk again, but Jason stepped in her way, making her growl. "Look, buddy-"

"Just hear us out!" Chase pleaded.

"Hear, hear!" Zach exclaimed.

Paul poked Haley's arm. "They never ask for help," he whispered. "It must be something really bad."

The girl processed. "Fine," she stated. "But if I smell bullshit, we're out of here. What do you want?"

"We were in that mansion yesterday-" Jason was interrupted when Haley stepped forward threateningly.

"I knew it, this is a trap!" she accused.

"It was going to be!" Jason admitted. "But it went all wrong, and now Braxton is trapped!"

Haley backed off, sighing. "Alright, what happened?"

"Okay, yes, we were setting up a trap for Po-" The intense gaze Haley gave off made Jason gulp and not use Paul's pet name.  _I didn't know Haley could be so scary,_ Paul noted. "For Paul, but then this crazy man started chasing us."

"He had this bloody butcher knife, and somehow we were split from Braxton," Chase continued.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. And I bet this man was a ghost, too?" she asked, not amused.

"We're not sure," Zach said. "I mean, he looked real enough. And then when we had gotten out of there and pretty far away from it, we noticed Braxton wasn't with us."

"And you've come to us because...?" Haley questioned.

"Look, you two are the only other humans in this forest, we need somebody," Jason stated.

Haley looked at Paul, who was trying to think if this was a good idea. He feared the beating he'd get otherwise, and also, despite how much Braxton deserved it, this just didn't feel right. He nodded at Haley. "Okay, we'll help," she said. "But!" She stomped, making the gang of three jump. "If I smell even the tiniest of bullshit, I'll have your heads, understand?" They didn't respond. " _Understand_?" she hissed.

"Y-yes ma'am!" they replied.

"Good. Now lead the way."

"But-"

"Lead the fucking way!" The boys scrambled.

Paul looked at her, amazed. "Wow," he breathed.

"Comes with dealing with an older and younger brother," she answered. "Now let's move."

In no time, they were in front of the mansion again. Paul gulped but tried his best to keep calm. Jason opened the double doors, which squeaked as they did. "So-"

"Paul and I are one team," Haley interrupted, taking charge. "I don't trust him with any of you. And speaking of trust..." She brought out Luxio and Monferno. "Luxio, you're with fat man over here."

"Fat man?!" Jason repeated. Paul would have snickered, but he held his tongue for fear of losing it. But Luxio wasn't afraid to do so since she could just shock the seventeen year old if he tried anything funny.

Haley ignored the boss. "Monferno, you're with the other two," she continued. "Don't let any of them out of sight, you two. And if they try anything funny, you have my permission to beat the shit out of them." Both Pokémon nodded.

"Can I at least bring out my Golbat?" Jason asked.

"Sure, if you think it'll help," Haley agreed. "Luxio, keep an eye on it, too."

"Lux," she said.

Jason let out his Pokémon, and the eight of them entered. Suddenly the door closed behind them, making Paul jump a little. "Hey!" Haley exclaimed, glaring at Chase and Zach.

"We didn't do that, honest!" they exclaimed. "We're not trying to scare him!"

"It's just the wind," Paul mumbled to himself. "Y-yeah, just the wind."

Haley sighed and pulled out a flashlight. "Monferno, check the east wing. Luxio, the west. Paul, we're going upstairs." She then released Prinplup. "Release Chimchar." Paul did so. "Alright then, let's begin." The groups went to their assigned areas. When Paul and Haley were upstairs, the girl began scanning everything with her flashlight. Chimchar jumped onto Paul's shoulder without really thinking. His Trainer looked at him, causing the chimp to flinch.

"This is the only time, okay?" he told him. Chimchar nodded. Apparently Paul wanted close company. And truthfully, so did Chimchar. The Trainer's footsteps echoed down the empty hallways, making the already scary atmosphere even worse. Then there was a gust of wind, which sounded too much like a ghost's wail. No matter how much close company he had, that made Paul spin around and suddenly bolt in the opposite direction.

"Hey, Paul!" Haley called after him. But Paul was once again too scared to listen. He turned down a hallway, with Chimchar clinging onto him tightly. His Trainer opened a door and ran inside the room, closing the door after him. He sunk to the floor, catching his breath. Then he realized what he had done.

"Damn it, not again," he mumbled, ruffling his hair again. He sighed and stood up, looking at Chimchar. "Well, let's go look for Haley."

"Chim," the Pokémon agreed. Paul turned to open the door.

"Um...hello?" a small voice asked. It sounded like a little girl. Paul and Chimchar turned their heads and saw a girl with short black hair with a red ribbon in it and a yellow dress. But more importantly, she was slightly transparent. The two screamed and dove into the corner, hugging each other. "Wh-what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" the girl asked, floating closer.

"D-d-don't come any closer!" Paul ordered. The girl stopped. "Stay that far away! I'm warning you!"

The girl looked sad. "Mister, I didn't mean to scare you," she said.

"Y-y-you're a ghost!" Paul pointed out. "What else do you do other than scare?!"

"Please, all I want to do is help!" the girl exclaimed desperately.

Paul and his Pokémon calmed down slightly. "H-help...with what?" Paul asked. He couldn't believe he was having a conversation with a ghost.

"I want to help find your friend!" the ghost replied. "You are in danger here, and you need to leave as soon as possible!"

"You...know where Haley is?" Paul inquired.

"Chim...char?" his Pokémon followed.

"Well...I know where she is, too, but I mean your other friend, the one you came in here to find."

"Oh...he's not a friend, just someone I know. Haley and I agreed to help find him."

The girl floated back slightly. "I can lead you to him-"

"If you're leading us anywhere, it's to Haley first," Paul interrupted. "I don't want to be around him without her."

She nodded. "Okay, and then we find him."

"Right." Paul stood up, a little shaky. The girl went for the door. " _Don't_ ," Paul began, "you  _dare_ fly through the door. I open it and  _then_ you lead the way."

The girl still didn't understand why Paul was afraid of her. "...Okay." She backed up, making sure to stay the distance he had requested. Paul opened the door and walked out, with the girl floating behind him, and then she took the lead. The Trainer gulped and followed her, Chimchar still clinging. "This way," she said and turned down a hallway. Suddenly there were footsteps.

"Paul? Chimchar?" Haley called.

"Priiinpluuup," her Pokémon called.

The group stayed right where they were as Haley and Prinplup ran up to them. "Oh, thank goodness," Haley sighed in relief. "Stop doing that." Then she noticed the ghost girl. Prinplup jumped behind Haley's leg, but the Trainer didn't flinch. In fact, she looked curious. "Hello. Who are you?" Paul couldn't believe how casually she was talking to the ghost.

"My name is...or was...Lynn," the girl introduced. "I use to live here."

Haley nodded. "We're looking for someone," she said.

"I know," Lynn stated. "I was going to lead you to him, and then all of you need to get out of here. It isn't safe."

The alive girl let the dead one go in front of her, and the three boys watched in shock until they decided to follow. "Why isn't it safe?" Haley asked.

"My grandpa haunts these halls," the ghost explained. "He isn't like me. You see, when he was alive, he was the one who killed me."

Haley gasped. "Oh my, I'm so sorry," she said.

Lynn shook her head. "It's okay. My Pokémon made sure he went with me, though she too lost her life. Soon some people came and boarded our house up. Though there are still some teenagers who dare each other to wander our halls, and then...Grandpa..."

"What does he do, exactly?" Paul gulped, not really wanting to hear the explanation.

"He uses the butcher knife he used on me and tries to kill intruders," Lynn explained.

Haley thought. "So that was the man the boys saw," she realized.

"Yes, and luckily when they separated, I was able to lead the other boy into the one room Grandpa can't enter."

"H-how can a ghost not enter a room?" Paul asked, finally finding a voice to contribute to the conversation.

"When I was still alive, I hung dream catchers in my room. I didn't realize they also repel ghosts." Lynn giggled. "I can't enter my own room."

Haley smiled, and then Lynn stopped. "Is this it?" she asked.

"Hey, is someone there?" Braxton asked from the other side.

"What do you know?" Haley said, amused and annoyed. "Braxton, right? Yeah, we've come to get you, along with your buddies. We have to get out of here, now."

"Would like to, but the door's jammed."

Haley sighed. "Is it okay if I bust down your door?" she asked Lynn. The young girl nodded. "Prinplup, Metal Claw!" Prinplup's claws glowed a metallic color, and then he attacked the door, tearing it down.

"Wow, thanks," Braxton said. He blinked. "Oh, it's you, that girl. And...Po-" Again, the glare made the fourth member stop from using the pet name. "Paul. It's Paul. But how-"

"Like I said, your buddies are in here, looking for you," Haley interrupted. "They enlisted us for help."

"Well then, let's go!" He started to run off, only for Haley to grab his wrist.

"Hold on, do you seriously want to get lost in here again?"

"But you said we have to get out of here."

"Yeah, in one piece. I don't think your gang would like it if I brought you back in bite-size pieces."

Braxton opened his mouth, but closed it again. Then he sighed. "Fine, lead the way."

"Prinplup, stay between Braxton and Paul. Lynn, think you can follow behind Paul?"

Paul froze. "I promise I won't get any closer than you requested," Lynn stated. The boy nodded. Now the five walked down the hallway and found the lobby again.

"Mon, Monfer!" Monferno shouted. He, Chase, and Zach ran up to them.

"Braxton, good to see you, man!" Chase exclaimed.

"Have you seen that crazy old man?" Braxton asked.

"Nope, nope!" Zach replied. "Haven't seen Boss, Golbat, or Luxio either."

There was the sound of something coming through the floor. "In the kitchen/dining hall," Lynn reported.

The two new boys screamed, to which Haley sighed. "Alright, girls, let's go fetch them," she said. As the group began to walk down the stairs, Jason and the two Pokémon ran out of the dining hall. "Luxio, up here!" Haley called.

"Lux, Lux!" the Pokémon cried.

"We've gotta get out of here!" Jason shouted. Suddenly a knife flew right by him and hit the wall next to the door. Everyone (except for Lynn) jumped.

"Intruders!" an old man cried. The three on the ground floor screamed.

"Th-that wouldn't happen to be..." Haley trailed off, scared for the first time. An old man emerged from the room. He had another knife, covered in blood, and he looked crazy. Murder crazy.

"Grandpa, stop!" Lynn requested. She flew down and held onto her grandfather's wrists. "Everyone, run!"

"Must...kill...INTRUDERS!" her grandfather shouted.

The teens and Pokémon ran for the door. "Duck!" Lynn suddenly ordered. The group hit the deck as a flurry of knives flew above their heads.

Haley scrambled to her feet. "Chimchar, Monferno, keep up covered with Ember!" The chimps released their fire as everyone ran outside. The two Pokémon stopped and ran after them. Haley went to close the doors, seeing Lynn smile at her before she did. And she was glad she closed the red doors when she did, because as soon as she did, one more knife made a  _THUNK_ on the door. She jumped back and then sighed in relief. "Well, at least we're out alive," she said. She whipped around, glaring at the Nightmare Gang. "Of course, we wouldn't have  _been_ in that situation if you idiots hadn't gone inside!" The group hung their heads. "And don't even  _dare_ say you're sorry, 'cause I know none of you are!"

"Look, we just want to scare-" Jason found himself interrupted again.

"Scare?  _SCARE?!_ You call tormenting a kid until he can't even function properly around you just  _scaring?!_ Try  _scarring!_ What right were you given to do such things to people, _HUH?!_ " Haley grabbed Paul's wrist. "Come on, we're leaving. You guys can do whatever the hell you want, just stay away from us!" The four watched the girl storm away.

"Haley, you shouldn't say such things," Paul said. "They'll come after you."

"And when they do, I'll kick their asses!" she retorted. "I meant every word, Paul, and I won't let them do things like that to my friend!" They had exited the forest, and that's when Haley released her grip and turned to face him, surprised. "I-I mean...my partner...yeah..."

Paul looked at her. He realized that in the mansion, thanks to Lynn, he had called Haley a friend, but he still didn't want to say it out loud. "Right," he said. He walked ahead a little. "Over that hill is Eterna City," he continued. "We should get going. It's almost sundown."

"Yeah. I have a big day tomorrow." Haley walked beside him as they continued over the hill. "Hey...Paul?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm proud of you."

The boy looked at her. "How?"

"You went into that mansion and never ran out, not once. You even spoke to Lynn. She was the one who lead you to me, right?" Haley smiled at him. "That must have taken a lot of courage."

"But...I was absolutely terrified in there."

"At least you know that. But acknowledging your fears and still facing them is one way to get over them. You'll see." She put her hands behind her head. "One day, you'll be able to face them, I can feel it."

Paul blinked and then watched as the city appeared in front of them. "...Maybe."


	8. The Grass Be Greener

"Mmm..."

"You look...uncomfortable."

"Why the fifth floor?"

"Nurse Joy said it was the only room available."

"Mmm..."

Paul sighed. "You've asked that question five times already. I can't believe I've kept up the charade and continue to answer with the same explanation you already know. So now you'll answer a question of mine. What's wrong with the fifth floor?"

Haley was sitting on her bed, knees curled up to her chest with arms wrapped around them and her back to the setting sun. She had only looked out the window once and then went straight into that position. That was a half an hour ago. "...I'm afraid of heights," she finally answered.

"You are?"

"I'm allowed to have fears too!" she snapped, though it sounded a tiny bit timid. Then she sighed and held up her left hand. "See this glove?"

"Yeah?"

"It's not because I like it...although, I guess it is a nice glove."

"So you wear it because of functionality."

The girl pulled the fingerless glove off, revealing a scar. "I fell off of a cliff when I was young," she explained. "Luckily, I grabbed a tree branch that was sticking out of it, but the branch also cut my palm pretty deep. I managed to climb back up, but I didn't get this treated until a few days after the accident. I wasn't supposed to be playing at those cliffs, so I feared getting yelled at by my parents for it. Thanks to my stupidity, my left palm is really sensitive now, so I have to wear something to pad it." She put her glove back on. "I would like to touch it, but then a shock of pain would course through me."

Paul chuckled, and his reward was a glare. "In all honesty, I can see you doing something like that," he stated. "I at least got these treated," he added, pointing to his back.

"Yeah, but you probably didn't tell anyone who did it. That's why they're not in jail."

"Perhaps," Paul said with a shrug.

"How can you be so nonchalant about a gang who has scarred you both physically and mentally?"

"I was too soft. I never wanted them to go. I thought maybe if I treated them nice, they would treat me nicer." He laughed quietly. "I was quite the idiot."

Haley looked at him, then took a Poké Ball from out of her belt and studied it. "Let's stop talking about this," she said. "There are better things to discuss."

...

The next morning, both Trainers were rested, and with Haley's team all ready they immediately went to the Eterna Gym. "Whoa, holy foliage!" Haley exclaimed. "It's a giant indoor forest!"

"That's how my Pokémon like it!" someone replied happily. Haley directed her attention to a young woman. She had orange hair and orange eyes, and she wore a short-cropped black long sleeve with a green cloak over it. Her orange shorts went down to just above her knees, and she had green boots on. She smiled big. "Welcome to the Eterna Gym! I'm Gardenia, the Gym Leader!"

"Haley," the challenger introduced. "I want to challenge you for your badge, please!"

Gardenia laughed. "Enthusiasm! I like it!" She pointed to the east side of the "forest". "Well then, get over there and let's battle!"

"Where's the battlefield?" Paul asked.

"This  _is_ the battlefield!" the Gym Leader stated.

 _It will give her Grass types the advantage, then,_ Haley realized. "Alright then, fine by me!" she exclaimed. "This'll make it more fun!"

Gardenia laughed. " _That's_ the spirit!"

Soon, both battlers were in position on their sides of the field. "The Eterna City Gym battle between Haley, the challenger, and Gardenia, the Gym Leader, will now begin!" announced the woman referee who had entered soon after the duo.

"Nuz-Nuz!" her Nuzleaf exclaimed, acting as a sort of co-referee.

"Three Pokémon will be used, and the challenge is over when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle! Furthermore, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon during the battle!"

"Nuz-leaf!"

Paul was in the bleachers, which were higher up than most bleachers, making it possible to see through the trees. He was thinking that, despite all of the crazy shit that ended up happening afterwards, he was glad to have fought at the Diablo Gym since it was plain and simple. The miniature forest below him would makes things a tad difficult for Haley, especially if she didn't want to set the place on fire. He looked up at the sky. There were clouds, but it was mostly a sunny day. If any of the Pokémon had Chlorophyll, it would make things even more difficult. "Alright, let the battle begin!" The sentence from the ref caused Paul to look back down on the field.

"Okay, Cherubi, let's go!" Gardenia exclaimed as she summoned the Cherry Pokémon.  _Maybe I should start knocking on wood,_ Paul thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Haley was deciding between Staravia and Monferno as her first. She quickly reached her conclusion. "Staravia, time to shine!" she shouted and released her Flying type.

"As my challenger, Haley, you get the honor of first attack," Gardenia offered.

"We'll take that," the Trainer replied. "Staravia, Tackle!" The Starling Pokémon flapped her wings once and then charged towards Cherubi.

"Dodge it, quick!" Gardenia ordered with a smile. It almost seemed as if she was here to be entertained rather than fight a serious battle. But when Cherubi dodged the Flying type with a quick sidestep, that thought went straight out the window.

"Whoa!" Haley exclaimed. "That's a fast Pokémon!"

"When Gardenia said 'quick', she meant it," Paul said to himself. It reminded him of Ash's Turtwig, another faster-than-average Grass type. He smirked.  _He might get a run for his money. Assuming he hasn't been here yet._

"If you think that's fast," Gardenia commented, "watch what happens on an extremely sunny day!" She pointed at the sky.

Haley followed the finger up. The clouds that had been blocking the sun had moved a little, and now the sunlight was even stronger.  _And if Cherubi gets faster due to sunlight..._ Two and two clicked together. "Staravia, get ready, things are about to get a bit fast paced!" she warned.

"Tackle!" the Gym Leader ordered. The Grass type charged like Staravia had, but thanks to its ability it was even faster. It hit an unprepared Staravia, and then it was on the ground. "And now the perfect move on a perfect day like this: Solar Beam!"

No charge-up time combined with extra speed would spell disaster. If the Trainer in the challenger's box was a rookie. "Dodge with Quick Attack!" Haley's mouth ran before her mind could even process the order. The Flying type swooped under the beam and then circled back to begin above it, charging at Cherubi. Staravia hit it dead on, sending Cherubi flying back...into the forest. "Ah, shit," Haley mumbled. "Staravia, up! Keep an eye out!"

"Star!" the Starling Pokémon responded and escalated into the air. She scanned the forest, but Cherubi was so small and the trees were so thick that she couldn't find the Cherry Pokémon. "Star, ray!"

Haley growled. "Then keep on guard!" she ordered.

Paul sat up a little. To him, the call sounded like a confirmation of whereabouts. Of course, from where he was, he was able to see inside the forest, whereas above, there was barely a way to do so. He began to think maybe that was the case, and Haley just figured it out before him.  _I'm getting lazy,_ he thought. Then he noticed Cherubi, climbing up and up and... "Haley, it's coming for Staravia!" he shouted without really thinking. Haley looked at him.

"Backseat drivers," Gardenia grumbled. "Cherubi, Magical Leaf!"

The challenger's attention was quickly back on the field as Cherubi emerged from the tops of the trees, ready to fire. Magical Leaf was an unavoidable move, but not an unstoppable one. "Swat them away with Wing Attack!" she shouted. Staravia's wings glowed white, and she bat the leaves away as they came for her.

"Not bad," the Gym Leader complimented as Cherubi landed. "Looks like you've done this before. Although that little comment did help you out." She grumbled that last bit and eyed Paul.

"That wasn't on purpose," Paul huffed.

Haley chuckled. "In all honesty, I think that warning only gave us an extra second," she admitted. "A second we really didn't need."

"What do you mean by that?" Gardenia asked.

"First, you're right, I have done this before," Haley commented. "Most of my Flying types have batted Razor or Magical Leaf away, and Staravia is trained to do so because of how often it happens. And second..." She chuckled again. "Well...just look up."

The older female did so, and found that more clouds had come, partially covering the sun again. She grunted in surprise. "When did-"

"Weather is unpredictable, and since only a little of the sun was covered, it was hardly noticeable." Haley smirked. "Of course, I don't like taking chances, so I'm still going to act as if Chlorophyll is in full effect. Staravia, why don't we demonstrate that little combo of ours?"

"Star," her Pokémon replied, nodding.

"Combo?" Gardenia and Paul questioned.  _When was she working on a combo?_ Paul asked himself.  _Maybe I was too busy training my own Pokémon._

"Now for my Sinnoh Flying type to demonstrate a Haley special: Quick Wing!" Staravia's wings glowed, like she was using Wing Attack, but a white trail of energy followed behind her as she charged, like with Quick Attack. With two different glows, Staravia was practically blinding to her opponent as she charged towards it, stunning it and making it unable to dodge the double attack. When Staravia swooped up and flapped her wings to get rid of the dust, everyone saw Cherubi had fainted.

"Cherubi is unable to battle!" the ref announced. "Which means Staravia is the winner!"

"Nuzleaf!"

Gardenia was amazed. "Thank you so much, Cherubi," she said with a smile. "Return." She recalled it. "Wow, Haley, I never expected that."

"No one does," Haley replied. "Though I'm surprised no one else has thought of it, or any of the other combos I've come up with."

"Maybe you're just a Combo Master," Gardenia stated, half joking and half serious.

"I like that title," her challenger said. "But it's not really as satisfying or fulfilling as Pokémon Master."

"Star-Star," Staravia agreed.

The Gym Leader laughed. "I'm glad I'm getting such an exciting challenger," she said. "Hopefully my battle with Ash will be just as exciting."

 _So he_ hasn't  _been here,_ Paul thought. "You know Ash?" Haley asked.

"Looks like you do, too," Gardenia answered. "I met him a few days ago in Eterna Forest. The route they were using, they were avoiding the back side of the forest."

"You mean there was a different route away from that mansion?!" Paul exclaimed, a little angry and annoyed that he went through that hell when he could have avoided it completely.

Gardenia looked sick all of a sudden. "You mean that haunted mansion really exists?" she asked, her voice a tad shaky.

 _Her too, huh?_ Haley thought. "H-hey, let's forget about that," she advised, not wanting to see either of them succumb to their fears. "We have a battle to fight."

The other two calmed down. "Yeah, you're right," Gardenia agreed.  _Crisis avoided,_ Haley sighed internally in relief. "Turtwig, you're next!" Another Sinnoh Grass starter revealed itself.

"Tur," it said, a little higher pitch than Ash or Haley's.

Haley once again found herself deciding on Staravia or Monferno. Then she realized that Monferno didn't get to do much in the last Gym Battle besides be bait. Dawn's words didn't really affect her, but in a way the pre-teen Coordinator was right. "Staravia, take a break," she said. The Flying type nodded, and her Trainer recalled her. "Monferno, time to shine!" She released her chimp, who stretched, apparently not quite awake yet. "Let's get moving, buddy. Today's the day for your proper Gym Battle debut." That seemed to do the trick.

"Mon, Monfer!" he chattered, pumped up and ready to go.

"Haley, I know you and Monferno are fired up, but try to not burn the place down," Paul advised. A pebble (probably from her shoe) came sailing towards him, which he easily avoided. "Hey, if you can make bad puns, so can I."

His partner waved him off. "So, shall it be you or I who goes first this round?" Haley asked.

"You again," Gardenia replied.

"Generous. Monferno, Flame Wheel!" Her Fire type reeved up in place and shot off. And Turtwig...just sat there. "What-"

"Dodge." In a flash, Turtwig was gone. Monferno stopped his Flame Wheel, surprised, as were his Trainer and Paul.

"Another one?!" the Trainers exclaimed as Turtwig reappeared in front of Haley as quickly as she had disappeared.

"Tackle!" Gardenia ordered.

Monferno acted on his own, using Mach Punch to dodge the attack. "Glad I have two brains instead of one," Haley mumbled. She sometimes liked to her Pokémon as other brains of hers, since they sometimes thought exactly like her. "But now what? That's one fast Turtwig. Staying in the open...hmm...well, this may not work, considering she has home field advantage, but it's better than nothing." She exhaled. "Monferno, into the trees!" The playful chimp jumped right in, disappearing from sight.

Gardenia laughed. "My Pokémon know this battlefield inside and out," she stated. "Playing hide-and-seek isn't going to do you any good."

"Maybe you're right," Haley admitted with a serious look on her face. "But Monferno by nature play in the woods, just like an Aipom. Just because your Pokémon know this neck of the woods, doesn't mean they'll find a jokester on their first try."

"Fine, we'll go along with your game. Turtwig, time to play 'Tag'!" Turtwig jumped into the forest.

"Monferno, stay alert!" Haley ordered. "Use all of your senses, and strike when you think it's right!"

There was no answer, but Haley knew Monferno understood. The Trainers were left to wonder what was going on out of sight since all they heard was Turtwig moving around. Then there was a  _THUD_ , and for a split second Gardenia smirked, only to find that the Pokémon that came flying out was Turtwig. "But...how?!" she exclaimed as the Tiny Leaf Pokémon got to her feet.

"Like I said, by nature, Monferno knows how to swing from tree to tree," Haley replied. "Silently." Then a shadow jumped in front of her, from the challenger right side to the challenger left side of the forest.

Gardenia grunted. "After it-"

"And how do you know that was Monferno?"

"Who else could it be?!"

"Not who, what," Haley answered. "Didn't I also mention Monferno being a jokester? How do you know that whatever flew from here to there wasn't a twig he threw?" In all honesty, Haley herself wasn't sure if Monferno had thrown a twig or not, but she decided it would be better to act calm, collected, and in complete control.

The Gym Leader wasn't about to be thrown off by her own Gym. "Turtwig, fire Leaf Storm into the trees!" she ordered. Turtwig summoned the leaves and fired into both of the challenger's corners. Then Monferno jumped, but from the forest on Gardenia's right, and landed a Mach Punch to Turtwig's back. The Grass type rolled, but was able to get up and skid to a stop. "Leech Seed!" Turtwig fired a seed from her stem.

 _The seed's slower than I imagined,_ Haley thought.  _All of that running around and two Mach Punches must have made her lose some steam. We'll take that advantage, thank you._ "Monferno, dodge! Then follow up with Flame Wheel again!"

"Dodge!" Gardenia ordered as the seed missed. Turtwig jumped over the wheel.

"Follow with Mach Punch!" Monferno broke out of his wheel and quickly turned around to chase after his opponent.

"Jump, Turtwig!"

Big mistake.

"Flame Wheel!" The Fire type reeved up quickly and shot after her. With nowhere to go, Turtwig was forced to endure the hit. She fell to the ground, and Monferno landed a ways back. Turtwig tried to stand up, and almost did, but then she fell back down, her energy spent.

"Turtwig is unable to battle, which means Monferno is the winner!"

"Nuzleaf!"

Gardenia sighed. "I'm sorry, Turtwig. I got a little cocky. But you did well. Return." She recalled her.

"Nice going, Monferno!" Haley congratulated.

"Mon-on, Monfer!" he cheered.

"It's not the end yet," Gardenia stated. "So don't think you've backed me into a corner. Roserade, come on out!"

The final Pokémon, the only dual-type, came out of its Poké Ball. "Roserade!" she cried.

This time, Haley had no trouble making her next move. "Monferno, get some rest, you earned it." Monferno nodded happily as Haley recalled him.

"No flinching this time?" Gardenia noted. "I assume you have a specific Pokémon in mind?"

"My best friend," Haley answered. "Umbreon..." She pulled back her arm. "Show time!"

With a powerful throw, Umbreon was released. Her paws gently touched as she landed in her hunting-like stance, the one she had begun her battle with Paul with. The spectator smirked. "This should be fun," he said to himself.

"So an Umbreon," Gardenia mused. "And you say it is your best friend? That makes two of us."

"Good," Haley said with a smirk. "I was afraid I would win this too easily."

Gardenia matched her challenger's smirk. "Would you mind if I took the first move this time?"

"Be a nice change of pace."

"Alright then. Roserade, Magical Leaf!"

Roserade spun, and the leaves shot of her rose hands at Umbreon. "Catch them!" Umbreon's eyes glowed blue, and the leaves stopped in their tracks. Then Umbreon began to revolve them around herself, as if she were a planet and the leaves were the rings around it. "I figured you would have Magical Leaf on that Roserade of yours, but I'm afraid this is an old song and dance for us. So now we'll just use the ones you've generously given to us as a shield. Faint Attack!" Haley ordered. Umbreon charged, fading out of sight.

Gardenia wasn't fazed. "Grass Knot," she whispered. Roserade's eyes glowed green, and dozens of blades of grass grew bigger than normal to tie themselves together. Umbreon reappeared as she tripped over one of them, skidding on the ground. The Magical Leaf ring collapsed around her, and she got up, growling. "Now, I'm going to try something new," Gardenia announced. "Tie its paws up completely!"

"Shadow Ball!" Haley ordered, hoping to stop Roserade. But the Bouquet Pokémon simply dodged as her eyes glowed green again. The grass around Umbreon grew and wrapped itself around her paws, all the way up to her ankles.

Paul, meanwhile, was amazed at the Gym Leader's move. "Never seen Grass Knot used like that," he noted. "But it's going to take more than that."

Haley proved his point. "Quick, untangle yourself!" The Moonlight Pokémon went to work with Psychic to unwrap the thick grass.

Since this was a new way of using the move, it wasn't as tight as Gardenia would have liked. She was on a time limit that was fading fast. "Roserade, Weather Ball!" Roserade jumped up and, thanks to the sun being fully out again, summoned a ball of fire. She threw it at Umbreon, who had just finished, and therefore had no time to react. When the flames lifted, Umbreon was revealed to have a burn. "Well, now it looks like you're on a time limit," Gardenia stated, satisfied. But then she took note of Haley's distress. Or rather, lack thereof.

"Hey, Gardenia, ever heard that I'm rubber and you're glue?" she asked. "Whatever you do bounces off me and sticks to you!" Suddenly Roserade was engulfed in flames that disappeared as quickly as they came, signifying that the Bouquet Pokémon was inflicted with burn.

"Ah!" the Gym Leader screamed. "But-"

"Synchronize," Haley explained. "Passes on status problems. Umbreon is the only Dark type to posses this ability."  _Yet another way she catches opponents off guard,_ Paul noted. "You know, I'm actually grateful for stopping Umbreon. Imagine if Girly had hit, and Roserade's ability was Poison Point. Synchronize wouldn't work then because of Roserade's typing. But would've, should've, could've, didn't, right?" She smirked. "Oh, and one last thing: that time limit you mentioned? You're under it as well. And it's worse for you, considering I still have my entire team."

Gardenia grunted. "Okay Roserade, let's end this quickly! Flash!" Roserade illuminated her entire body, blinding Umbreon. "Now, Magical Leaf!"

"Use your ears and use multiple Shadow Balls!" Haley instructed. Umbreon jumped away from the leaves and fired quick small Shadow Balls, destroying most of the leaves. But one caught her, and she stumbled, causing the rest of the attack to connect. The burns then affected both Pokémon, though thanks to the last attack Umbreon was feeling worse. And she was still blinded "Umbreon, sense her out and use Shadow Ball!" Umbreon found her target and fired the shadowy orb.

"Magical Leaf again!"

"Keep those Shadow Balls going!"

This time all of the leaves were destroyed. Roserade used that time to jump into the air (after being affected by burn again). "Weather Ball!"

Umbreon dodged, but thanks to her closed eyes she didn't see one of the leftover Grass Knots and tripped over it again. "She's off today," Paul mumbled to himself.

 _Why, why, WHY?!_ Haley screamed. Had they been too cocky? Was that it? "Come on, Umbreon, get up! You can do it!" she encouraged. Umbreon lifted herself up, flinching thanks to the burn.

"You know, I'm kind of disappointed," Gardenia stated as Roserade landed.

Haley didn't listen to the rest of whatever the Gym Leader was saying. She hated when her first Pokémon, her best friend, was getting ridiculed. It pierced her heart more than anything, and it made her feel like she had failed the veteran fighter. "Umbreon, fight!" she shouted, sounding desperate.

Umbreon hated when her Trainer, her best friend as well, got like that. It was as if Haley had magically regressed to a rookie every time that happened, flustered and unsure. That angered the Moonlight Pokémon, because it made  _her_ feel like  _she_ had failed. Fueled with that, Umbreon formed a dark ball in her mouth. But it looked slightly different. "That doesn't look like any Shadow Ball I've seen," Paul said. Then he realized what it was, right as Umbreon fired.

"Um-bre-on!" she shouted. Her eyes flew open, showing their anger and determination, and released a beam of black and purple circles at Roserade, who was surprised.

"Umbreon?" Haley asked, equally surprised at the new move.

"I was right, that's Dark Pulse," Paul commented.

"Dark Pulse?" Haley repeated. She gasped. "That's right! That's the move Luna's Houndoom used!"

The Dark type special attack hit the Grass type dead on, and she was sent flying, the beam still going as she was against the wall. It quickly subsided, and both Roserade and Umbreon fell to the ground. Roserade fainted, but Umbreon went on a little longer, giving a triumphant smile before fainting as well.

"Both sides have fainted!" the ref announced. "However, since Haley still has useable Pokémon, she is the victor of today's challenge!"

"Nuuz-leaf!"

It was sort of bittersweet for Haley, since she felt like she could have done a bit better. "Umbreon, are you feeling okay?" she asked gently as she walked up to the Pokémon, who was starting to wake.

"Um...Umbre," she answered quietly and slightly nodding.

"I'm sorry," Haley stated. She scratched her friend's left ear. "That didn't go so well."

"You still won," Gardenia said as she approached the victor. "And I have to say, Umbreon has a spark that is quite amazing. To learn a new move right then and there, just to shut me up...you must be really special to her." Umbreon nodded again.

"I know she is to me," Haley replied. "Oh, right, what move did you forget?"

"Iron Tail," Paul interjected, holding his open Pokédex. "Honestly, sometimes I worry about you. I hope you realize no matter how much you ask Umbreon, you'll never get answer."

Haley and Umbreon blinked. Then they laughed, though Paul noted that for some strange reason it was slightly nervous. "Of course!" Haley exclaimed "Guess my mind is still stuck on the battle, so it's not working properly!" Her laugh went to a chuckle, and then she cleared her throat and stood up. "So no more Iron Tail, huh? Oh well, not like it was used much. Well Umbreon, you ready for some rest?" Umbreon nodded, and her Trainer returned her.

"Well, I've gotta admit, I am extremely impressed," Gardenia said. "You're really tough! Wasn't it hard for you to raise your Pokémon to be so good?"

Haley laughed. "Kind of!" she replied. "But if you don't put in effort, you don't get results!"

Gardenia smiled. "You certainly got results. Forget anything I said, because you've demonstrated serious bonds and incredible teamwork." She dug into her pocket. "And for it, you get this, the Forest Badge." It looked exactly like it was called, three green forest trees all coming together.

The victor took her new badge. "Thank you," she said happily.

"And thank  _you_ for such an awesome battle," Gardenia told her. Then she hopped from one foot to the other, looking antsy. "Man, this just got me even more excited for my rematch with Ash!"

"You already battled him?" Haley asked.

"Unofficially in Eterna Forest," the Gym Leader replied. "He lost."

Paul rolled his eyes. Typical. "So...is there really another route through Eterna Forest?" he asked.

Gardenia looked at him and blinked. "And is there really a haunted mansion?"

"Thank you again so much, Gardenia!" Haley said quickly. She grabbed the back of the collar of Paul's jacket and tugged at it. "But we need to get to the Pokémon Center, and then we're exploring the city."

The boy turned his head. "Look, I just want-"

"I am  _not_ going to try and calm you down again!" Haley shouted.

"And I don't feel like playing therapist to Gardenia again, either," the woman ref sighed.

"Well, since someone is on my side, I think we can leave." Haley tugged at the collar so that she was almost dragging Paul behind her.

"Good luck on the rest of your journey!" Gardenia called after them.

The door closed behind the Trainers, and then they suddenly heard, "No, it's just a stupid rumor!"

Haley sighed. "But it's not," Paul stated.

"She doesn't need to know that," his partner grumbled.

"Fine, fine, but can you at least release me?" Haley did, and Paul straightened his jacket. "So, Pokémon Center and then exploring the city? Why not just leaving?"

"Just the Eterna Historical Museum," Haley stated. "I want to learn about the Sinnoh region, and that's not exactly easy or satisfying in Kanto."

"How about no."

"How about this is totally fair," the girl retorted back. "You dragged me through Diablo City for two days and didn't even tell me why. I only want to go to one place, and depending on the time of day when we exit, we could still have daylight to use."

Paul was about to argue, but then he realized she had a point. "Fair is fair," he finally admitted.

"Thank you," Haley responded.

They entered the Pokémon Center and got Haley's Pokémon healed up, and then made their way over to the Eterna Historical Museum. On either side of the entrance were statutes of Pokémon. "The Pokémon that commands time, Dialga," Paul explained when Haley asked what Pokémon they were. "And the Pokémon that controls space, Palkia."

"Hmm." Haley smiled. "Pokémon have pretty amazing abilities."

"Humans must be even more amazing if they can control such creatures," Paul added.

"What about legendaries like these two?"

"Well..." He looked at the statues. "Maybe." With that they entered, and something behind the desk caught Paul's eye. "That's strange."

"What's strange?" Haley asked, but so did the Officer Jenny that walked up to the counter.

Paul looked at the adult. "The security system, it's outdated," he explained. "That's a third gen system. I thought PythonTech was on fourth gen."

Jenny narrowed her eyes. "Kid, what do you know about security that I don't?" she asked.

"That's a H-134 model," Paul stated. "Granted, it  _is_  the most advanced gen three systems, but it has been known to be a bit faulty as of late. Model S-201 is the most up to date."

The officer blinked, as did Haley. "I didn't know you were such a techie, Paul," his partner piped up.

Paul shrugged. "Just a little interested," he replied nonchalantly.

"I would say 'little' is an understatement, considering S-201 is at best a prototype," Jenny informed. "Only those who were following the latest conference closely and us officers know about the newest system."

Now it was Paul's turn to blink. "Really," he said, somewhat surprised. "No, I was sure they were out already."

"You're suspicious," Jenny accused. "You and I need to have a talk.  _Alone_."

Haley looked from Paul to Jenny and back to Paul. She shrugged to him and left the two. "Guess I'll see you later," she called over her shoulder.

Paul watched her go. "Kid, who exactly are you?" Jenny questioned.

"My name is Paul."

"Last name?"

He flinched. "Uh...don't have one."

The officer raised an eyebrow. "Let me see your Trainer ID," she requested, although he knew it was more of a demand.

Now he gulped. He hated his last name. Not because it sounded stupid, but because of what it meant. "O-okay, I lied, I do," he stated. "It's Anderson."

"ID?"

Paul bit his lip. "Uh...forgot it?" Now that was a painfully obvious desperate attempt to get away from the situation if he ever heard one, and it was coming out of  _his_ own mouth.

"Very funny, kid. Now do I have to bring you down to the station?"

"No, no, I'll get it." The last thing he needed was a call from Reggie yelling at him for being dragged to the police station. With shaky hands he took his bag off his back and opened it up. He dug through it and found his Trainer ID. When he handed the plastic card over, he got the reaction he was expecting: wide, surprised eyes. "My name is Paul Shinji Zuckerman," he admitted. "The very Zuckerman you're probably thinking of."

Jenny looked at the card, at Paul, at the system, at Paul, and then back at the card. "I-I had no idea...I apologize-"

"Please don't act formal, I'm not a representative for my father's company," Paul interrupted. "I'm just a normal Trainer." What a fucking lie that was.

There wasn't a person in the world who hadn't heard the name Zuckerman, and whether they knew it or not, everyone had something that had been through PythonTech. They made software, hardware, security systems; you name it technical, most likely they made it. Except for Poké Balls. That was Silph Corporation's territory, and no one stepped into it. PythonTech dared once, and that was probably the worst finical year of the company's long history. And Paul was the son (and unfortunate heir) to the father and current president, Fredric Zuckerman. It  _would_ be Reggie, but the bastard hated Paul's older brother because of his love for Pokémon, not knowing Paul liked Pokémon as well. His older brother was neglected and treated unkindly, and as a result Reggie ran away when Paul was four. Reggie wanted his younger brother to stay behind, but Paul refused, so they left together.

That was eleven years ago, and they had yet to be caught. There were a few people in the world besides the brothers who knew Paul's last name: the people who registered him for the Pokémon League, and now this Officer Jenny.

"So then...no one knows?" she asked.

"Not a word," Paul requested. He then added a "Please" as he reached for the card.

Jenny met him in the middle. "I won't tell a soul," she promised. When the plastic was in Paul's hand he quickly threw it into his bag and put it back on. "Anyway, since I assume you only saw the announcement of the S-201, I'll explain. Apparently it still has problems, according to President Zuckerman himself."

"Impossible," Paul countered. "My dad's too much of a workaholic and perfectionist for it to have any problems upon announcement. Once they're out for a year or so he doesn't give a damn, but not a moment before."

"I thought it was impossible too, but that's what they say," Jenny informed. "Even Cyrus said so."

Cyrus Levy. His father's biggest business partner, and the man who knew just as much about every product as his dad did. As much as Paul hated both men, if both of them said there were problems, his hands were tied. "Then never mind, I guess," he sighed. "Sorry for taking your time."

"That's my line," the officer said, giving her first smile all day. "Well, enjoy the museum."

Paul nodded and went to find Haley. It had just been confirmed both men had said the newest model was faulty, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something was...off about the whole thing. He ruffled his hair. "Oh, what's the point of trying to understand those two?" he mumbled. He finally found his partner, who was busying looking at a scale model of the Space-Time Tower.

"Hey, you're back," she noted. "So, what was that all about?"

He shrugged. "She must be the cautious type," he replied. He would rather not let another person know about his real identity. It wasn't that he didn't trust Haley, but so much of his past had been revealed to her already, and he didn't want something else to be dug up in front of her so quickly. Besides, at least his reply was somewhat true.

They walked around a bit, finally coming back to the lobby, which held a special piece that Haley had been too busy caught up in the paintings and artifacts to notice. "What is it?" she asked as she searched the pedestal. "There's no plaque for information or anything."

"That's because not much is known about the Adamant Orb," someone said. The Trainers turned to see one of the tour guides. "All that's really known is that it somehow connects to Dialga and Palkia."

"Like, as in summoning them?" Haley asked him.

"Perhaps," he replied. "But no one knows for sure. Not yet, anyway. Professor Carolina of the Celestic Town Historical Research Center wants to study it, but apparently is too busy working on the Celestic Ruins at the moment."

Paul was sure he had heard that name before, but he also didn't really care at the moment. "Well, if that's all there is to it at the moment, I guess there's nothing else here I want to see," Haley declared. "Thank you for the information."

"Any time," the man stated and walked off, and the Trainers left.

"So, are you ready to go?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Haley replied.  _He seems a little on edge ever since that conversation,_ she noted.  _I wonder what they talked about. Well, guess I shouldn't push it._ She sighed internally.  _And I don't think now would be the best time to admit that my feet are killing me..._

...

The journey to Mt. Coronet was...interesting, if Paul could only use one word.

First thing that happened was, not long after they left Eterna City, Haley collapsed, due to her feet being absolutely sore, forcing them to stay at a Pokémon Center. They were about to leave the next morning when a Trainer with blue hair interrupted them. He wore a pink shirt, a brown vest, black pants, and black boots. There was a red handkerchief around his neck and sunglasses resting on his head. To say he was a snob and an arrogant asshole was putting it lightly.

The first thing he did was hit on Haley, making her very agitated and Paul growl a little. The other male slyly asked if Paul was upset that he was trying to steal his girlfriend, which not only got an angry reply of "She's not my girlfriend!” but also somehow ended up with the two in a Pokémon battle. It was Chimchar verses a Growlithe. The opponent commented on how Fire type starters were weak, and how he had once had a Charmander that he had given up for said reason. Now Paul wouldn't have minded since he also believed in strong Pokémon if the teen didn't brag about  _leaving it in the rain to die._ For once, both he and Chimchar were angry at the same thing. Having enough with this clown, Paul ordered Dig, which took out the Growlithe in one shot. The Growlithe looked strong. The Trainer was just too weak.

"Maybe that was why the Charmander was weak," Haley commented. "He just doesn't know how to properly raise Pokémon."

"What a waste of time," Paul grumbled. Chimchar actually agreed. "Let's go."

"Oy! You just gonna walk away?" the boy asked. Paul sighed. "I've got stronger Pokémon than that. Fire types are weak anyway."

Chimchar took offense to that, and Paul couldn't believe he was trying to coax another battle out of him. "Find some other loser to fight you," he responded.

"Afraid you'll lose? Think you'll embarrass yourself in front of your girl-"

"You're asking for it!" Paul snapped as he charged. Soon there was a scuffle where neither Haley nor Chimchar knew what was going on.

"Have you ever see him this...immature?" Haley questioned.

"Chim-char," the chimp replied, shaking his head slowly.

They watched the dust cloud for a few more moments. "Well, looks like we're not going anywhere for a while," the female Trainer stated. "How about we go inside?"

"Chim." The Pokémon followed her into the building. The TV was on, and everyone was focused on it. There was something about the Eterna Historical Museum, and the Adamant Orb, and thieves...

Haley flew back outside. "Paul, you might want to see this!" she called. Paul and the other male stopped fighting. They went inside to watch the breaking news.

"Once again, we bring you to our top story on the stolen Adamant Orb," the newscaster reported.

"Stolen?" Paul repeated. Other Trainers who had just walked in also gasped and mumbled to each other.

"The robbery took place ten minutes ago by unknown thieves," the woman continued. "We do not have the full details, but police say that at the time of the robbery the security system was experiencing a series of glitches."

Paul immediately sat down at a table to where he could see the TV. Chimchar hopped onto it. "Chim?"

His Trainer was silent. "We're not leaving until we see the conclusion of this," he declared.

Haley and Chimchar were taken aback. "Really?" she clarified. Her partner said nothing, but the look on his face was enough to make her quietly sit down, with Chimchar in her lap. Paul wasn't too concerned with the stolen orb. He had a feeling the police would get it back. What did concern him was the statement he knew his dad would sooner or later make about the faulty security system, especially since it was a priceless artifact.  _And I want to be there when he makes it,_ Paul decided.

He hated his dad. He hated the company. He hated the idea of taking said company from said dad. But, in the case that he was found and forced back, he wanted to know as much as he could about it. That was the reason he knew about the latest system and the systems before it. He had that knowledge just in case worse came to worse, and when he would appear on center stage for the whole world to see (assuming he got caught in the first place), he wouldn't make a complete fool of himself.

An hour passed, and finally the orb was found and returned. The thieves were the three Team Rocket losers, so Paul figured Ash was somehow involved. For a few minutes nothing else happened. He was surprised his dad hadn't appeared yet and, thinking he wasn't going to, got up. "Let's go," he said. Haley looked at him walk past, and Chimchar woke up (he had dozed off at some point, finding the very rare updates boring). The chimp hopped off the girl's lap to let her stand up, and they were almost out the door when the woman newscaster said something about a statement from Fredric Zuckerman. Paul grabbed Haley's shoulder. "Actually, just a few more minutes."

"Why...oh," she said when she noticed the TV.

"On behalf of the entire company, I apologize for our faulty system," the president began. "We understand that the model is outdated. As we speak, our fourth generation of systems is being finalized and will be out shortly. We understand that what was almost stolen today was an artifact that is to forego studies and is very important to the world of archeology, and therefore we will work even harder to make sure something like this does not happen again."

The room was silent. "You know, Paul," Haley whispered. "Earlier I wanted to leave. Now I have the energy to train at best."

Paul was silent for a few more moments. "I agree," he finally said.  _Dad sure does know how to suck the energy out of everything._

The next morning, Haley actually wore a different outfit: a red t-shirt with white sleeves and jean shorts. Paul asked why the sudden change, and Haley told him she had found out they would have to travel down Cycling Road. "Bike plus skirt equals no thank you," she ended her explanation. Paul agreed with the logic.

One bike trip later, and soon the two found themselves at a very large river, with a Wailord-looking steamboat just docking. The duo walked down to the docks and discovered it was one of those sightseeing steamboats that also made its way towards Hearthome City. Paul would have agreed to it, until he heard the words "first class restaurant". He quickly made his way to the Pokémon Center. "I'll pass," he stated.

"But it sounds like fun," Haley insisted.

"It also sounds like there will be a bunch of rich snobs there," he argued. "Therefore, I'll pass.  _You_ may go if you so choose."

Haley sighed. "Every party needs a pooper that's why they invited you," she sang in a monotone voice. "Party pooperrr, party pooperrrrrrr." Paul just rolled his eyes.

Next day came; there was a storm, preventing them from going anywhere. The day after that, they began their three day walk down the river, a day trip by boat, as Haley pointed out a total of three times. She would have gladly rubbed it in more, but Paul threatened to duct tape her mouth shut. "And the only way you'll be able to get free is with my help," he finished, his tone showing he was  _way_ past even the  _slightest_ bit of tolerance.

"Do you even  _have_ duct tape?" Haley inquired.

"Shall we find out?" Paul answered hauntingly.

The reply was a quiet "No" and silence (depending on who you were, it was either much needed or awkward). Finally, Mt. Coronet was ahead of them, and in no time, so was the entrance. Paul had gone through it once when he and Torterra (then a Turtwig) were just starting. They had planned on traveling to Oreburgh for their first Gym Battle, but a call from Reggie in Hearthome City asking if he wanted to see an important battle he was going to have canceled those plans, and then, not long after, canceled his plans on returning to Sinnoh for five years. He sighed, more heavily than he realized. "You okay?" Haley asked.

"Yeah, just breathing."

"Just...breathing," the girl repeated, not believing the excuse. "That sounded  _way_ too heavy to be 'just breathing'."

 _What is with the interrogations_   _lately?_ Paul asked himself. "I was thinking about something," he replied, which was at least truthful.

Haley grunted. "Will you just forget about it already?" she asked, a little miffed.

Paul almost jumped back in utter shock and asked how the hell she knew about Reggie's last battle when he immediately (and thankfully) remembered the steamboat. "Good, you seemed to have listened," he said as he walked into the mountain path.

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled. She followed in after him, and a few seconds later he heard her grumble, "Duct tape. Next time, we'll see who uses the duct tape." He couldn't help but smirk at that.

Of course, his short-lived happiness always had to fade quickly, didn't it?

"...where the Sinnoh region began," Paul heard someone mutter up ahead. He knew that voice.

There was no way he wanted to encounter the face.

Paul grabbed Haley's wrist and immediately covered her mouth to drown out the squeak, shout, or whatever of surprise that would no doubt come out of her. He then proceeded to go on another path that would take them to the exit. It would take a bit longer, yes, but it would be better than running into-

"Hello, Paul. I didn't expect to see you of all people today."

Oh damn everything to high hell.


	9. Something Will Be Born

What had she done to deserve the sudden grab-and-tug? All she was doing was thinking.  _And_ a hand over her mouth? What was he doing?

"Hello, Paul. I didn't expect to see you of all people today."

He stopped, the grip tightened, and he huffed, sounding annoyed and frustrated. Apparently, Paul hadn't wanted to be spotted.

Clearly, his wish had been denied.

She turned her head and saw a man, probably in his late twenties. He had blue spiky hair and blue eyes, and he was wearing...a business suit? In a mountain cave? Haley might have focused more on how odd the sight was if her focus wasn't on the atmosphere the man brought with him. It radiated with importance and leadership.

And Paul  _knew_ this guy, although he didn't seem too happy about it.

Paul finally let go of her wrist and faced the man, his face seemingly calm. But he was definitely not. "Cyrus, how...surprising it is to see you," he said, the annoyed tone in his voice betraying his face.

"Now come on, is that any way to treat a family friend?" Cyrus asked. The low growl Paul gave told Haley that no matter if this guy  _was_ a family friend, he wasn't  _Paul’s_ friend. Then Cyrus noticed Haley. "And who is this?"

"H-hello," Haley greeted, the man's atmosphere making her a little nervous. "M-my name is Haley. I'm Paul's traveling partner."

"I see," the man stated. "My name is Cyrus."

"Nice to meet you," the girl replied, although she wondered if it really was, considering Paul's attitude. "So...I know this is going to sound strange, but why are you wearing a business suit in here?"

Cyrus laughed. "Not the one to be afraid of asking the blunt questions, are we?" he inquired.

Paul rolled his eyes. "He's the mobile man of Sinnoh's industrial complex," he explained. "Almost every library and museum is built under his supervision, as well as a few other buildings in the region." He looked at her. "The Eterna Historical Museum, for instance." Haley was amazed. Never mind the fact that Paul clearly didn't enjoy his company, his family  _personally_ knew the man responsible for preserving Sinnoh's history. Paul then turned, his back to Cyrus. "Now that you two know each other,  _we're leaving_."

"Hold on, Paul, why so hostile?" Cyrus asked. "I just want to have a friendly chat. It has been three years since you and I have last met."

"Cyrus, you are treading on  _very_ thin," Paul warned.

"It's surprising how much more you sound like your father every time I see you."

" _VERY_ thin ice," the boy hissed.

"Can we just talk?"

Paul was going to reject again, but Haley brought him close and whispered, "Just do it. He might follow us and keep on pestering you if you don't."

He was silent for a while, and finally he sighed. "Fine," he huffed. He walked up to his dad's business partner for the second private conversation of the week. "This better be important," Paul grumbled, his arms folded and a scowl on his face.

"Would I take your time away if it  _wasn't_?" Cyrus replied. "I am a busy man, after all."

"Yes.  _Clearly_ , you're busy, seeing as you're sightseeing inside Mt. Coronet, mumbling incoherent nonsense."

Cyrus remained calm, except for his eyes. Paul clearly saw them twitch a little at his sarcastic comment. "I see you definitely have gotten more of a...sense of humor since we last met," he noted.

"Or maybe I always have, and I just didn't feeling like sharing it with you," Paul replied. "Now, I'll say it again, this better be important."

"I had heard of your return, and wanted to see how you were doing," Cyrus explained, getting to the point this time. "I had also heard something interesting about the Valley Windworks about a week or so ago. Seems like you defeated a group of criminals. Team Galactic, as I recall."

"And?"

"Well, since it was his security system, your father was informed and led to believe the police handled everything. Of course, I had the sneaking suspicion that wasn't the case." Typical, on two fronts. First, that his dad would only care if it had to do with his security and second, that Cyrus went out of his way to confirm if the police were wrong. Paul always found it strange that the man didn't care for the police force, but then he would counter that thought by pointing out that maybe he just didn't like how they handled certain situations. "I am glad I chose to find out for myself."

"I never said I did anything about it," Paul said, rolling his eyes.

"That 'And?' made it pretty clear to me."

"Fine, whatever, you're correct. Now can you please leave? I have places to be."

"But wouldn't you like to come with me and tell your father about your heroics?"

Paul narrowed his eyes. Again. He was doing this  _again_. "How many times," he began, hissing, "do my brother and I have to tell you to not say a damn word to him?"

"It's easy to ignore children."

If he didn't get out of this conversation now, Paul was going to snap, and it wasn't going to be pretty. He whipped around and stormed off, then grabbed Haley by the wrist once more and yanked her along. "We're leaving," he hissed.

"Hold on-"

"We're  _fucking_ leaving," he repeated, sounding agitated and livid.

Haley looked back at Cyrus, who gave her a warm smile and a wave. She couldn't hear what they had talked about, but whatever it was, it didn't  _look_ like the experiment for this product she now had on her hands. Or in this case, the hand of the product wrapping around one of her wrists. And to make matters worse, Paul hadn't realized he had taken her left wrist. He was squeezing it so tight that barely any blood was allowed to flow. It would only be slightly uncomfortable, if her left hand had been what it was eight years ago. "Paul-"

"It's none of your business!" he snapped, not realizing she didn't care for whatever they had talked about at the moment.

"But-"

"Stop trying to talk about it!"

"Hand!"

They stopped with the exit only a few feet away. Paul turned his head. "What does that mean?" he asked, confused but the agitated tone still there.

"You're squeezing my left wrist!" Haley exclaimed. "I can't feel my left hand!"

"Left...hand?" He looked down. "Oh God!" he shouted and let go as if he had been touching fire and just realized how hot it actually was. He quickly walked out, leaving Haley to stand there, shaking feeling back into her hand before running after him. She had expected him to be farther along the path, and she almost took off down it if Paul hadn't piped up, "I'm sorry." She turned around to find him leaning against the cliff, hands in his pockets and a guilty look on his face. "I didn't mean to."

"Hey, it's all right," Haley stated. "See, look, the color's back!" Her reward was the hint of a small smile. "And I understand. Some people get me agitated, too."

Paul's face darkened, and Haley realized too little too late that even mentioning Cyrus, whether it was by name or not, was a very,  _VERY_ bad move. "Forget him," he said in a voice that made a chill sprint (the usual run analogy too slow for this moment) down Haley's spine. "Don't mention him, don't ever bring him up, I don't want to even think about him." He glared at her, and for the first time since she had been around him, Haley flinched. "Understand?"

All Haley could do was nod. He walked on, and she let him get ahead of her before she followed him. Walking next to Paul just didn't seem as inviting as it usually did. It was basically impossible for Haley not to think about Cyrus, and she was amazed she was able to bite back her questions, but miraculously she did it. She had been so caught up in thinking she didn't realize they had made it to a Pokémon Center, or that it was close to sundown. And she especially didn't hear Paul until there was a snap of fingers. "Huh? Wha?" she responded unintelligently.

"I said we're stopping here for the night," Paul sighed. "Honestly, sometimes I worry about you. Where were you, Wonderland?"

Haley's brain pushed Cyrus aside. She didn't want Paul to think that the man was occupying her mind, and the only way to do that was to prove her witty blade hadn't dulled. "Yeah, fell down the Buneary hole," she said. "Thank goodness you brought me back. They were about to make me drink the shrink potion."

"Didn't Alice drink the potion herself?" Paul commented with a smirk.

"Not in my version."

"Ah, so you've taken up writing fan fiction, then?"

"Wait till you see what I've done to you."

Paul huffed but still had a slightly amused look on his face. "Don't even joke like that." Haley giggled.

The next morning, Paul woke Haley up early. Normally, she would complain, but it seemed that she had gotten a very good rest. They went downstairs and looked at the selection for the day. There was absolutely nothing Haley wanted, but Paul picked something for her anyway. Now they were sitting in a booth, and Haley grumbled at her Pokégear map as she ate her unwanted breakfast. "I didn't realize," she mumbled in between bites, "that the road to Hearthome is that long." She swallowed. "And I can't believe you are actually doing this. I don't even  _like_ oatmeal!"

"I told you I would make sure you ate breakfast even if it meant stuffing something down your throat," Paul stated.

"To be honest, I'd rather you be literal than metaphorical at this moment," she replied. "Kicking my shins? Really?" His foot touched her right shin as a warning.

"Keep stalling, I dare you," he warned with his familiar shit-eating grin.

Haley grumbled and quickly forced the slop (at least, it  _looked_ like slop to her) down her throat. "There. I'm done. Can we  _go_ now?"

"Sure," Paul said, shrugging and then slid out of the booth.

"I hate you," Haley grumbled.

Paul walked over to her, grabbed her wrist (he made she it was her right one this time), and yanked her out of the seat so that now they were in each other's faces. "Say that to my face," he whispered jokingly.

"As many times as you want," the girl retorted with a smirk. "I hate you."

"And I'm a brunette," Paul replied, matching the smirk. He then let go of her wrist and walked off. "Come on, let's get moving."

They were on the road again, and thanks to Paul's early morning rise, they had gotten pretty far down the road, and there was still plenty of daylight. Haley now had high hopes of getting to Hearthome City in four days unlike her predicted seven or more. That was, until a group of kids ran by going towards a nature park. "The Champion!" they sang. "We're really going to see the Champion!" And with Paul's eyes following them, Haley threw that new hope out the window.

"Okay, Mister Eager, let's go see the Champion," she said dryly.

She expected a witty comeback, something like, "It's been a while since you've given me a nickname", but Paul didn't say a word as he walked towards the park. It looked like he was going there with purpose, and she had no idea what was swarming through his head. Anxious, she followed him, not knowing exactly what to expect. They walked up a flight of stairs and were greeted with a crowd of Trainers and an alter of some sort. But more importantly, they were greeted with one of the most dazzling people Haley had ever laid eyes on.

The last three Champions she had met were Lance, Steven, and Wallace (she had been Steven's last challenger, and had talked with Wallace while the stone collector was recording her into the Hall of Fame). They all had a powerful aura around them, indicating their positions of being Top Trainers. But the female Champion didn't give that off. She gave off something calm as she licked away at her ice cream and ran her free hand over the stone she was in front of. Haley also found her very pretty, with her long blonde hair and her black trench coat, pants, and high heels. The teen looked at her in awe, wanting to stay where she stood for just a few more moments to admire her, but then she noticed Paul kept going. Towards her. And with determination. A horrible thought flashed through her mind and she ran after him, hoping to stop whatever stupid plan he had in mind.

"Hey Paul!" a familiar cheerful voice rang, stopping them both. Haley was actually relieved for the distraction despite the low tolerance Paul had for his younger rival. Speaking of which, Paul turned to look at Ash as he walked up. "Haven't seen you since Oreburgh," he continued, a smile on his face. It was clear that what Paul had said to him blew off and into obscurity. "So how many badges have you won? I've got two of them now!"

 _Answer, answer, ANSWER!_ Haley screamed, hoping Ash could get Paul to focus on something other than what she feared he was focused on. But of course, answering with a simple "One" would be too out of character. And too hopeful. "It's really none of your business, see?" he replied curtly and began walking again. Haley became even more nervous watching him do that.

Ash's face was filled with confusion and Dawn frowned, her hands now on her hips. "The same old same old," she mumbled.

Paul was getting closer, and Haley's stomach was doing somersaults. "Um...P-Paul!" she called in a desperate attempt. He stopped again. "D-Dawn has something to say to you!"

"I do?" the younger girl asked.

"She does?" Paul questioned, though it also sounded like he should have added a "huh" before the question mark. "Well, she can tell me later." And he started back up.

 _Running out of time, RUNNING OUT OF TIME!_ "Dawn, please!" Haley begged, her eyes and her voice showing desperation. "Do something! Anything!"

"W-why me?" she asked. "A-and what's wrong?"

Haley was about to reply saying there was no time to explain when Paul's voice rang out, "You're Cynthia, aren't you?"

"Shit!" Haley whispered.

"Language!" Dawn scolded.

Cynthia turned to the boy who had addressed her. "Yes," she replied sweetly.

"My name is Paul, and I'm from Veilstone," he introduced. "I'd like to challenge you to a battle." The park was filled with gasps, and Haley realized she had been right all along. She didn't like that one bit.

"Paul, are you crazy?!" she cried.

The challenger turned his head slightly so she could see his eyes, and for a second she swore they flashed with a look that screamed "Betrayal". She flinched, and quickly realized that everyone (minus the three behind her) were saying the same exact thing only...much more hurtful. They were scoffing, taunting, mocking, and calling him insane. Right now, only four people were there who might believe in him, and only one was close to being considered a friend, although Haley wasn't sure if she had reached that status yet. And then she realized something else: despite his jokes last night and this morning, it was clear he still hadn't gotten over the meeting in Mt. Coronet. He was looking to blow off steam, not to mention he was on a winning roll, having beaten Roark, Mars, and Luna (plus a few Trainers here and there), so his confidence was probably at new heights. After their run-in with that gang in Eterna Forest, he probably felt like he had earned this,  _needed_ this, and so Haley gave in. She stepped back and threw him an apologetic look. He closed and opened his eyes, a way of nodding, before looking at the Champion again. She was contemplating on her answer with a smile, and she seemed to be going through some past memories. "It's been a while since I took a field challenge," she stated. "Are you competing in the Sinnoh League now?"

"That's right," Paul answered.

"I see," she said. She began walking down the stairs. "Then I'm assuming you transferred here from another League." She stopped a couple yards in front of him and wore a very big smile. "Fine then, I accept your challenge."

The park was once again shocked, and Haley knew that if she were in Paul's shoes, she would probably hurl from stage fright. Of course, when it came time to fight the Champion at the end of her journey she would be just fine but  _now_ , with only one fully evolved Pokémon in her belt, there was no way her legs would even allow her to stand,  _especially_ with all of the comments and snickers that were being tossed around. Then again, this was Paul. If he wanted to battle Cynthia right here, right now, no amount of jeering was going to stop him. "Is this why you were asking for me to do something?" Dawn asked. Ash had made room for Paul's traveling partner in between him and Dawn, and Haley at the moment didn't really care that their last meeting had ended up with an almost catfight.

Haley nodded. "I'm...a little nervous," she admitted. "But I can't stop him, and I won't. I shouldn't have tried."

"Do you mind if we battle with six Pokémon each?" Paul asked.

"No problem," was the response.

The crowd was at it again, one person very close to the group of four claiming Paul had no brains. "Wow, this crowd's giving Paul a tough time," Dawn noted. Haley knew that if any of these people were Jason or his cronies, he would be breaking, but to Paul these other Trainers meant nothing.  _And I don't know if that comforts me or scares me,_ she thought.

"That's true," Brock agreed. "But don't forget, this is Paul were talking about. I'm sure he's done his homework."

"Has he?" Dawn inquired.

Haley wondered for a split second who Dawn was talking to, seeing as how the fourteen-year-old was still trying to figure out how she felt about all of this. "Well...maybe, when I wasn't looking," she replied. "Or maybe when he was younger. To be honest, he hasn't mentioned Cynthia  _once_ to me. I didn't even know her name until Paul said it when he asked if it really was her." Her attention was suddenly drawn to the battlefield by a shift in the atmosphere. Cynthia had gone from calm and even slightly bubbly to the usual empowering one, the one that screamed, "YES! I  _AM_ the Champion! Now bow, my peons!"

"Then let's get this underway," Cynthia said. "Garchomp, battle dance!"

She threw the Poké Ball, and out popped a dark blue Dragon-looking Pokémon. "Gaaar!" she cried. Haley flinched at her superiority. Not even Lance's Dragonite or Steven's Metagross had made her do that. Then again, she hadn't met them until she battle them on center stage, and this time she was seeing the Champion's Pokémon when she only had two badges. Clearly, it made a difference.

"Whoa, there's Garchomp again!" Ash exclaimed and opened up his Pokédex.

"Garchomp, the Mach Pokémon," the computerized female voice explained. "When it folds up its body and spreads its wings, it can fly like a jet plane at the speed of sound."

"She's that fast?!" Haley shouted.

Paul wasn't fazed at the sight of his high-speed opponent. "Chimchar, stand by for battle!" Once again the chimp was on the field, looking determined. The battle with the blue haired Trainer had left him unsatisfied, and just like Paul, he was also on a winning streak. Confidence was the name of their game.

The Champion blinked and her mouth was wide open. "A Chimchar?" she noted with confusion.

Apparently Paul enjoyed the taunts the Trainers were throwing at him, because they were at it once more. It was as if he wanted to add fuel to the fire. "Even  _I'm_  not so sure about this," Dawn whispered.

Haley might have agreed, if at that moment the kid repeated his no brains comment and then added a snicker this time. She wasn't really thinking when she suddenly shouted, "You can do it, Chimchar!"

"Haley?" Dawn asked, concerned.

"Hate to break it to you, Miniskirt, but your boyfriend just sent out a Pokémon with a terrible type disadvantage," the kid sneered.

The older teen looked at him and gave him an icy glare. The kid looked no older than twelve, and  _this_ was how he decided to treat someone older? "First off, Chimchar can," she snapped. "He's more powerful than you realize. Second, he's  _not_ my boyfriend. Third,  _no one_ disses the skirt,  _especially_ since it's definitely  _not_ mini."

"You know he has a point on the typing," Dawn told her as the kid blinked in surprise.

"Maybe, but you saw the Oreburgh Gym Battle too," Haley pointed out. "May I remind you of Elekid? And you should be seeing the combo Paul and Chimchar have been lately. They haven't lost since Chimchar fainted that day."

"So, do you think they'll win, then?" the Coordinator asked.

Haley dropped the smile that had grown. "I...I don't know," she admitted. She looked around the park. "I hope."

Paul's first attack was Fire Spin, used in a different way than in the Gym Battle against Luna. Instead of charging, Chimchar fired a spinning vortex out of his mouth, and hit Garchomp dead on. Brock and Ash marveled at the power, but then Dawn said, "But let's see if Fire Spin  _does_ anything."

The vortex went on, and Paul quickly took action. "Now Dig!" he ordered. Chimchar burrowed into the ground.

"We'll use Dig as well," Cynthia declared, and Garchomp did, despite still being caught in the vortex. Paul growled and Haley was holding her breath. The sinking feeling both of them had grew when the ground began to shake and the fire vortex popped out, with Chimchar being flung back and hitting the ground. He tried to get up, but the hit had been too much. Time slowed for the three as Chimchar fell back down. The chimp's world went black, Paul was frowning, and Haley tensed up.

For the first time in weeks, Chimchar had fallen.

And Garchomp, breaking out of the Fire Spin, looked as if nothing had happened.

"Boy, that didn't take long, did it?" Dawn gasped.

Haley looked at her partner, who was recalling Chimchar. The look in his eyes gave Haley one thought:  _We're back to square one._ "You outta be ashamed," he said aloud, causing both Cynthia and Ash to frown.

Too bad they couldn't hear his thoughts.

 _Damn it!_ he shouted.  _One attack?! And it's not even fazed?! I knew it, Haley was trying to stop me, and maybe I should have listened! Chimchar be ashamed? So should I! I sent him out, thinking that spark of determination would carry him through, but one attack?! I'm in way over my head!_ His eyes scanned the crowd quickly.  _Well, I can't back out now. Not yet. I have Weavile. And Torterra... That's it! I'll weaken it with Weavile, and if...uh, Haley said he, right? ...Yeah, he. If he goes down, I'll bring Murkrow out. By then, Garchomp should be weak enough for Torterra to take it out. Maybe it's not showing it, but Fire Spin had to do_ something _!_ "Weavile, stand by for battle!" he shouted.

The Sharp Claw Pokémon, materialized. "Weavile!" he cried.

Now Dawn had a smile on her face, Haley finally not feeling alone. "Let's see how Weavile does," she said, pulling out her own Pokédex to get his information.

"I haven't seen Weavile in action yet," Haley stated as the voice ended. "But an Ice type-"

"Pokémon like Weavile against Garchomp is a good match," Cynthia said, drowning out the younger female. "Yes, a wise choice indeed."

 _Was she...talking before I did or did she cut me off?_ Haley thought.

 _Did she just...cut someone off?_ Paul asked himself. He mentally shook the question away. It wasn't important at the moment. "Blizzard!" he ordered quickly. The gem on Weavile's forehead glowed, and then snow came out of his mouth. Garchomp guarded with her fin, and didn't even flinch.  _To a quadruple effective attack_. Paul was horrified. Now in his head he was screaming, hoping this was a bad dream, that he had conked out standing up. He was waiting for a pebble to fly and hit him in the back of the head, followed by one of Haley's quips. But when he secretly pinched his hand and felt the pain but nothing changed, he knew he had gotten into a hole he probably wouldn't be able to climb out of.

Meanwhile, the group of four was stunned, though definitely nowhere near Paul's level. "What...happened?" Brock questioned, not believing this. Yeah sure, Cynthia was Champion, but this was beyond insane.

"That Blizzard should have been huge but it did nothing!" Dawn added.

"Hacks, I call hacks!" Haley cried. Her anxiety was shooting through the roof, not just because of Paul's situation but because she was now thinking of her future battle. She predicted that breakfast she had wasn't going to stay with her for long.

"Dragon Rush!" Cynthia called happily, as if she enjoyed the awe she was putting the five through. Garchomp hit the Blizzard with her fin, stopping it, causing the challengers to gasp. They watched as the Dragon-Ground type grew a blue aura around her and dove straight for Paul's Pokémon.

Weavile was scared stiff. The power flowing from the move was overwhelming. He hated just standing there, not being able to move. Paul wasn't in the line of fire, but he could still feel what Weavile was.  _If he's feeling what I am, there's no way he's dodging._ "In that case, Ice Beam!" he exclaimed aloud. His Pokémon fired twice, but Garchomp just dodged and rammed into Weavile. He fell to the ground, and it was the same thing as Chimchar. Paul recalled the fainted Pokémon. The Yanmas were back, but this time they weren't just scared and nervous. They were angry. Furious.  _Livid_. "Murkrow, stand by for battle!" he shouted. As he watched his Pokémon materialize, he thought,  _There's no way she's getting away with this!_ First order, Haze, which Garchomp dodged, but Murkrow used that time to fly behind his opponent. "Sky Attack!" Paul ordered. Murkrow charged.

"Giga Impact!" the Champion ordered.

Something clicked in Paul's head. He smirked internally. "Here it comes!" he told his Flying type. Murkrow didn't falter and continued his charge, and the two Pokémon collided. As Paul predicted, Murkrow fainted while Garchomp was unfazed. But this time, Paul had a little bit of luck. He recalled the Darkness Pokémon, and decided to wear his smirk, accompanied by a chuckle. Cynthia was confused, as were the four Trainers close to him.

"Hold on, what's Paul smilin about?" Ash asked, vocalizing what they were all thinking.

"He lost three Pokémon with a single hit!" Dawn pointed out.

Haley was thinking. The image of Murkrow falling to Giga Impact weighed on her mind...

Wait...

Giga Impact?

"Dawn, I need to borrow your Pokédex." Before the pre-teen could respond, Haley snagged the pink device. Normally she hated touching anything pink, but now was an exception. She ignored the owner's cries of theft as she looked up Giga Impact. "I was right!" she exclaimed.

"Right about what?" Dawn and Ash asked, the former grabbing her Pokédex back.

"Watch," was the reply. And they did.

"Torterra," Paul began, smiling for the first time since earlier that morning, "stand by for battle!" He released his starter, who landed on all fours with a powerful  _THUD_.

"Tor-terra!" he cried.

On the sidelines, Ash checked out Torterra's data, and his two friends commented on Paul's incredibly bad state. As for Haley, she finally felt relaxed, her realization giving her much needed reassurance. "Giga Drain!" Paul ordered, his smile still on his face. Torterra unleashed the vines, which wrapped around Garchomp, who hadn't even attempted to move a finger.

"A hit!" Ash noted.

"But I don't understand why Garchomp didn't even  _try_ to dodge," Dawn piped up.

Suddenly Brock had a realization. "Of course!" he exclaimed.

"So, you figured it out, too?" Haley stated with a smile. Both of the younger Trainers were confused.

"After a Giga Impact is launched," Brock explained, "it takes a while to recharge. So Paul  _knew_ that by using Giga Drain at  _this moment_ , he could sap Garchomp's power just long enough until Giga Impact could be fully charged up and Garchomp could use it again."

"Think of it as a physical Hyper Beam," Haley continued. "If Paul's own moves won't work, then he'll let Garchomp do the damage to herself instead."

Ash and Dawn now realized how the tides had changed into Paul's favor. "But why did you need my Pokédex?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know every move in the world, and Giga Impact is one of them, so I wanted to confirm my suspicion."

The Coordinator nodded and turned her attention back on the battle. "Giga Impact is a powerful move," Paul was saying, "but it's also one of Garchomp's weak points as well." He knew he sounded like he had this whole thing planned out, but in all honesty, this was a lucky break.  _Not like I'm going to let anyone know that,_ he thought. Giga Drain ceased, and finally,  _FINALLY_ , Garchomp sunk to her knees.  _Ah Torterra, why didn't I bring you out first?_ he beamed mentally. He figured he would need only one more hit, and he decided with something powerful. "Now use Frenzy Plant!" he ordered. Torterra glowed green and then stomped the ground. Thorny vines appeared and went straight for Garchomp. A cloud of dust appeared and ripped through the park, making everyone cover their eyes and brace themselves. Everyone except for Paul, who was still smiling, and Cynthia, who had been wearing a straight face ever since Garchomp had been hit with Giga Drain. The wind and the dust died down, and Paul expected a fallen Garchomp.

Reality had never been so cruel.

Garchomp was kneeling there, her fins stopping the vines and protecting her. She lifted one of them and glared. Paul gasped and stepped back.  _No, no,_ NO! he panicked. _Garchomp should have still been affected! So why, why,_ WHY?! Then he noticed  _Cynthia's_ smirk and chuckle.  _FUUUUCCCCK!_ "Use Brick Break!" she ordered. Garchomp pushed the vines away and jumped, her fins glowing white. Even if Torterra  _didn't_ have to recharge, he wouldn't have been able to dodge.  _Why didn't I use Leaf Storm?!_ Paul cried. He watched helplessly as Garchomp slammed one of her fins onto his starter's head. He flipped over and then landed upright, only to shown to have fainted.

 _Just like everyone else,_ Paul thought solemnly.

How could he finish this battle now? Yes, he had been the one to request a full battle and yes, he originally planned to go through with it, but Garchomp had dashed those plans away. He recalled his Pokémon. "I guess that's it," he said. That was all he had. He had put his best Pokémon forward. He was done.

Cynthia seemed to realize Torterra was Paul's strongest. "Guess so," she replied. She looked at her Dragon type. "Nice Garchomp, great battle." She smiled as she was recalled.

Haley was trembling slightly. This hadn't been fair, it was a total sweep, and the Champion was saying "Nice battle"?! Patronization was the  _last possible thing_ Paul needed right now. Of course, the crowd didn't care for that fact. They were at it again, and her rage was boiling, threatening to explode. These... _worthless_  Trainers didn't understand a  _damn_ thing about him! They didn't know what she did about his past and what had happened in the last week. When some kid cried out "What a loser!" and everyone started laughing, she snapped.

And so did Ash.

"Knock it off!" they both shouted. They looked at each other, Haley a little confused, until she noticed the glint of respect in his eyes. No matter how badly he had been beaten, Ash admired the fact that Paul had the guts to challenge Cynthia like that. Just as Haley was finding some respect of her own for Ash's maturity, he ran off towards Paul.  _Crap,_ Haley thought.  _He's going to try and congratulate him._ As if losing this badly wasn't already a blow to his pride.

"I'll tell you, Paul," Ash said as he walked the rest of the way, "it was great."

Paul quickly glanced at him before looking back at Cynthia, causing Ash to frown for being rejected. He was too annoyed with the battle to think of a reply to him. He wasn't even sure on what to say to Cynthia. "Well, I'll work on it and try again," he stated.

"I'll look forward to it," the Champion replied.

He bowed. "Good bye," he said, and then turned. Haley watched him walk before quickly following him.

"Paul?" they heard Ash say. Paul ignored him. "Hey, wait! That's not where the Pokémon Center is, you know."

 _It's not?_ Haley asked.  _Had we passed it and not realized?_ But with the way Paul was walking, Haley realized he didn't want to be in a public place. He only stopped when Cynthia said, "Paul, hold it right there" in a demanding voice. "Brining injured Pokémon to a Pokémon Center," she lectured gently, "is a Trainer's first responsibility, you know."

The teen didn't respond to her. "Haley..." he muttered.

The need in his voice was overwhelming. "Paul, I know you don't want to be around people right now," she began softly so that only he could hear. "And I would gladly give them Sitrus Berries, but I think we should." When he didn't reply, she gently grabbed his shoulder. "No one's going to pester you. You have my word. But we can't deny the Champion."

He was silent for a few more moments before saying, "Right", loud enough for Cynthia to hear.

Satisfied that the young Trainer listened, Cynthia led the way, with Ash right next to her. Paul growled, but Haley tightened her grip a bit. "I won't even let him," she promised.

He looked at her, and she flinched again.  _Why have his glares been doing that lately?_ "Tch. Whatever," he grunted, and followed after them. Haley followed after him, with Ash's two friends ending the group.

"Did...I do something wrong?" Haley asked Paul timidly. She hadn't done that in years.

"What makes you think I'm thinking you did?"

"You just seem annoyed with me, and I want to know if there's a way to fix it."

"Not unless you can time travel."

Haley gulped. "Paul, I didn't mean-"

"To doubt me like everyone else?" he scoffed.

"Okay, yes, I did. I won't deny that. But it was for a spilt second, I promise."

"Of all people..." he muttered. Then he looked back at her. "And  _this_...why couldn't you just say you would take care of it?"

"She's been giving me the feeling of Ninjasks in my stomach all day," Haley whispered sheepishly. "I've never met a Champion before battling them. It's intimidating. And besides, I promised. You know I keep my promises."

Paul snickered. She didn't like that. "That's why all you could think about yesterday afternoon were questions about Cyrus."

"N-no, I-I was-"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he interrupted, narrowing his eyes. Haley gulped.  _Why is he acting like this?_ Before either of them could say anything, the Pokémon Center appeared. Paul huffed and walked faster to catch up with Cynthia.

Haley felt like disappearing. The witty comment he had made the afternoon before had been a cover up, an attempt to keep his anger down. He probably would have been successful, and the whole thing would have blown over, if he hadn't lost, angering him again. She stood in front of the Pokémon Center, not noticing that Brock and Dawn had caught up. "Haley, are you okay?" the former Gym Leader asked.

She looked at him. "Yeah," she replied. "What makes you say that?"

"You look...kind of down," Dawn stated.

"No, I'm fine," she reassured and walked in. The two friends looked at each other and then followed her inside.

Timing couldn't have been worse. Nurse Joy needed to perform surgery, so she wasn't available to help. Haley was about to voice doing it herself, but then Cynthia beat her to it. Then she was going to volunteer to be her assistant until a love-struck Brock butted in.  _Guess I'm of no use here,_ she thought sadly. "Haley, are you all right?" Paul asked. "You look antsy."

Haley definitely didn't want to say what was on her mind. "Just gotta use the bathroom," she replied.  _Oh God,_ that  _excuse? He'll never fall for it._

Paul shrugged. "The room were using is down that hall," he said. "Meet us when you're done." And he walked off after the group.

She watched the five of them go. "So he wasn't dense last night, but he is now, huh?" she muttered sadly. "Being the sixth wheel sucks." And she went to find a bench.

Meanwhile, Cynthia was treating Paul's Pokémon. Doing it the old fashion way was taking a while, and after marveling at her vast knowledge, Dawn looked around the room. "Hey, where's Haley?" she noted. Cynthia had finished putting Chimchar to sleep and was about to move on to the two Dark types. However, she stopped her actions and studied the room along with Ash and Brock.

"Something about the bathroom," Paul stated nonchalantly.

Dawn suddenly became furious. "Are you that dense?!" she shouted.

Paul was taken aback by the sudden shout. "What do you mean, if she has to go-"

"That was, like, 20 minutes ago!" Dawn pointed out. "Did you ever think for a second that she, excuse my language, feels like crap and is trying to distance herself?!"

"Why would she do that?" Ash asked.

Paul shrugged. "I wouldn't know," he said.  _Aw shit, it's because of what I said. And then she probably wanted to help out but felt like there would be too many hands._

The Coordinator huffed. "Well, unlike you, I'm going to go find her and figure out if something's wrong," she said. Nose in the air, she spun on her heels and went to find the older Trainer. It wasn't that hard, seeing as she didn't have too many places to go. And wouldn't you know, she was sitting on a bench in the hall across from the one Dawn was in. "Hey," she piped up, grabbing the attention of the sulking girl.

Haley looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy, and it was the only way Dawn knew she had been crying, since the older Trainer had wiped away the streaks and she didn't wear any make-up. "Is Cynthia done?" she asked quietly.

"No, Murkrow and Weavile are going to get treated," Dawn explained. "I noticed you were missing and went to find you."

"Oh," Haley said. Then she chuckled. "Guess you didn't fall for the bathroom excuse."

"Men are idiots," the other female grumbled and sat down next to Haley. "Paul's such a jerk. He just waved it all off like your feelings are nothing."

The Trainer didn't reply. "I'm sure he didn't," she finally said.

"If that were true, he'd be out here."

"I would agree, if we were talking about anyone other than Paul."

Dawn looked at her and blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"If I tell you what I'm about to tell you, can you keep it a secret?" Silence. "Please, Dawn, it's personal to him." Now the younger girl was wide-eyed. She nodded. "He doesn't want to seem weak," Haley began. "Imagine what he would feel if he went to come find me and consult me right in front of your eyes. Paul has already lost so much today, he'd probably break, especially since he knows why I'm acting like this."

"It's his fault?" Dawn inquired.

"And I bet he feels guilty, though he's not showing it," Haley added. She sighed. "I wish you could see what he's really like."

There were a few moments of silence. "What  _is_  he like?" the Coordinator asked.

"Witty. He makes a lot more jokes than you'd believe. Sort of childish." She giggled. "You should see him and honey. That just equals disaster." Dawn laughed. "And he really does care for his Pokémon, in his own weird way. I know it's hard to see if you only meet with him every once in a while, but he does."

"So...do you like him?"

"I want to become friends," Haley admitted. "With Paul, you have to take small steps. I've learned that, and I think that's one of the reasons he doesn't get along with Ash. He wants to be friends with him so quick but Paul...he doesn't really trust people anymore, considering most of them gave him shit." She eyed Dawn. "And no, I don't care about language. That's the only word to describe his past."

Dawn's eyes became dinner plates. "Now I see why I have to keep this a secret," she said. Haley nodded, and there were a few more silent moments. "Still doesn't excuse him for being an asshole to you."

"I see I'm slowly corrupting you, my young padawan," Haley commented with a smirk. Dawn laughed again. How was it that she ever hated this girl? Oh yeah, she had jumped to conclusions about Paul's traveling partner. Then she noticed the smirk faded. "I think his behavior has to do with an incident yesterday."

"What happened?"

"We met this man in Mt. Coronet," Haley explained. "He must have done and said some things to Paul in the past, because it was clear Paul didn't like him. Then the two had a private chat, and the next thing I knew Paul was furious. He told me to forget him and to not think about him. And ever since, Paul's been on edge. Battling Cynthia was a way to blow off steam, I think, and well...you saw the results."

Dawn absorbed the information. She sighed. "Great, thanks," she mumbled. "I  _want_ to hate Paul for being a jerk, and yet I can't help but feel guilty if I  _do_." Despite her annoyed tone, there was a mischievous spark in her eye.

"You're welcome," Haley joked. Then she yawned. "Man, I'm tried for some reason."

"Crying will do that," Dawn informed. Haley whipped her head, looking scared.

"Did...did you guys hear me?"

Dawn shook her head. "Your eyes are red," she explained. "That's how I knew."

"Oh, thank goodness," Haley sighed. " _Don't_ scare me like that, Dawn. I don't want Paul to feel any worse." Then she yawned again. "I also think my anxiety has caused this dilemma."

"Anxiety?"

"Cynthia. I have to battle her at the end of the Elite Four Run. If she's _that_ powerful...ugh, I don't even want to  _THINK_  about how badly I'll do."

"You have like, what, six more badges to go?" Dawn replied. "You're only starting. I'm sure you'll do fine. Don't stress yourself out so early."

"Oh don't act like you don't think of the Grand Festival and  _don't_ start getting Butterfrees in your stomach."

"No, I get Beautiflies," Dawn stated. The girls laughed, and then Haley rested her head against the wall. "You take a nap. I'll get you when everything's done."

Haley gave a thumbs-up that immediately drooped as she went off into dreamland.

The next thing she knew, Haley was lightly shaken out of her sleep. "Wuzzat?" she muttered, blinking in hopes of getting the sleep out of her eyes.

"Cynthia said there's something all of us should see," Dawn said gently. "Come on, sleepy head."

Haley groaned. "That was, like, five minutes," she protested as she stood up.

"You might want to add twenty minutes to that," Paul stated. He, Ash, and Brock were crowded around with Dawn while Cynthia was near the door. He was side glancing her, Haley still in his line of sight but he was also looking away. It was clear he felt bad.

"Yeah, yeah." Haley yawned. "But after we see this thing, I'm crashing on the couch until we're leaving."

"But you already slept some," Ash pointed out.

"25 minutes is nothing," Haley replied before the five kids followed the Champion. The woman led them to the park and showed them the stone tablet she had been admiring earlier.

"The words that are written here," Cynthia began, "completely changed my life. Listen while I read them." There was a pause before she said, "'When every life meets another life, something will be born'." Ash and his friends repeated the words to get a better grasp. "When I was younger," Cynthia continued, "I use to dream of nothing other than becoming powerful through being victorious in battle, and so I trained endlessly." Haley would have inserted a witty remark right there, and Paul guessed she would and knew what it probably was too, but both of them stayed silent. "Then I discovered that, even the same  _types_ of Pokémon have unique personalities. It was at that moment, I decided I wanted to get to know each and every one of them better. And then, after meeting more and more Pokémon, learning more of their ways, something completely  _new_ began to stir deep within my soul. I learned that meeting new Pokémon was just like meeting new people." She turned and faced the younger Trainers. "I'm sure because of our meeting today something powerful has been placed in each one of us. Something important. Something that will make us stronger in our own ways."

Haley thought about everything the Champion had said. She had zoned out when Cynthia started talking about her dream to meet Dialga and Palkia since she believed it was a little off topic, but that was beside the point.  _Something that will make us stronger in our own ways,_ she repeated in her head. She quickly glanced at Paul. It was if those words were  _made_ for him. Now the group was walking back, and the couch was eagerly calling Haley. But things could never be that easy, could they?

"Come back!" they heard Nurse Joy yell. "That's not your Chimchar!"

The group stopped, confused, and noticed two humans and a Meowth running away. The purple haired one had Chimchar in his hands. "That's Paul's!" Ash realized.

"And Team Rocket's got it!" Dawn added.

 _Chimchar!_ Paul shouted. He took off after the three.  _Damn it, damn it, damn it!_ The others followed behind him. "Stop!" Ash yelled.

"Give Chimchar back!" Dawn shouted.

"Or you'll be sorry!" Brock threatened.

The three jumped into the bushes, and soon there was a Meowth-shaped balloon in the sky, with the three in the basket. "Now you take your lumps!" they sang tauntingly.

"Huh, déjà vu," Haley commented.

Paul looked at her. "You've...met these losers before?" he asked.

"Huh?" Haley blinked. "Oh, no, they just remind me of another group I know. It's not important."

"Right," Paul said.

"Oh dear," Cynthia's voice full of concern as they watched the balloon ascend.

"I'll take that as a compliment," the male stated.

"Any dear from you means fear to us," the Meowth added.

...Wait.

The Meowth added?

"What the fuck, he talks?!" Haley exclaimed.

"Language, young lady!" the female scolded.

"Gotta keep it PG for the kiddies," Meowth stated.

"But I thought this was T for teen," the male pointed out. His partners looked at him, and then Chimchar waking up distracted them. The group on the ground watched as the three cooed at him and the chimp looked absolutely confused. After a while it was clear Chimchar didn't care for their pointless banter and scorched them.

Ash clearly had enough of this too. He brought out a Poké Ball, but Paul beat him to it. Chimchar was  _his_ Pokémon, after all. "Ursaring, stand by for battle!" he shouted. The Normal type emerged, and then Paul ordered, "Hyper Beam!" Ursaring fired, and just before it made contact with the balloon, Chimchar jumped. Haley, not caring that the trio was "blasting off again", sprinted and dove, catching Chimchar before he hit the ground, and tumbled into the trees as a resulted. She hit her head on one of them, causing her to groan a little.

"Chim-Chimchar?" the chimp asked with concern.

Haley smiled, rubbing the top of her head. "Don't worry," she replied. "I'm more concerned about you." Chimchar smiled as well, and then the Trainer stood up, the Fire type in her arms. She walked out and was met with Paul ending his run up to her.

"Is-"

"Just fine," Haley reported.

"And you?"

"What would be wrong with me?"

"I saw that tree shake." Then he smirked. "Oh wait, I forgot. You have such a thick skull, you probably did more damage to it." Haley rolled her eyes and was about to joke back when she noticed the look in his eyes, and it was aimed at Chimchar. "To be captured by a bunch of losers," he scoffed. "Useless!"

Chimchar looked down, ashamed. "How could you be so mean?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Chimchar was  _sleeping_ when Team Rocket took it!" Dawn added. Then she remembered her talk with Haley. What if Paul was just trying to hide how he really felt?

She was getting the hang of Haley's perspective.

 _Damn it!_ Paul was thinking.  _Of all the times I had to be away...and with no one watching, either! Haley could have stayed there; we didn't need to bother her! Or, at the very least, let one of her Pokémon watch them so she could sleep! Hell, let one of_ my  _Pokémon watch them! I'm so_ stupid _!_ "Okay, that's enough," the Champion's voice rang. "The important thing now is that Chimchar's safe and sound. Dear, sweet Chimchar." Her hand went up to his cheek, and he smiled. The other three voiced an agreement, with Dawn going first, making Haley a little bit happier.

She could see Paul's guilt, and it was eating at her.

What had he done to deserve to crap thrown at him today? All he had done was get pissed off at some guy who clearly liked pushing his buttons.


	10. One of Those Days

"And Chimchar?" Nurse Joy inquired.

"I can take care of him," Haley insisted. "All he needs is sleep and a Sitrus Berry, I'm sure." The nurse looked at the Pokémon. Her trained eye scanned him, and then she looked at Haley. She nodded in approval.

Cynthia had proposed that the partners stay the night, for the sake of Paul's Pokémon. At first, it had looked like he wouldn't agree, but then he rethought that. "Well, alright," he had agreed. The two Trainers walked back, and Paul grabbed the other three Pokémon and then handed them over to Nurse Joy. Now, with that business taken care of, Paul figured they had other matters to attend to. "Let's go get dinner, and then bring it upstairs," he stated.

Haley looked at him. "What's wrong with eating dinner down here?" she asked. His eyes began to scan the Pokémon Center, and she noticed the Trainers from the crowd earlier. They hadn't been present after the battle, but it seemed quite a few of them had ventured back. "Ah yes, the peanut gallery," she noted dully.

They walked over to the food corner and ordered something. And while they waited, trouble reared its ugly head. "Oh, that  _is_ a nice one you found, little bro," someone said. Paul and Haley turned to the voice. It was the kid from earlier, along with a blond-haired boy who looked like him but slightly older.

"Thanks, Sam," the boy beamed. "Though why she's with that loser is beyond me."

"Look, you little shit," Haley hissed as she sat up. "You better back of. I am  _not_ afraid to kick your ass."

"Aw, don't go saying that to my little brother," Sam said slyly. "He's just saying the truth, Beautiful."

"Well I don't see  _you_ walking up to the Champion to challenger her!" Haley snapped as she stormed up to him.

Sam snickered. "If I recall, you thought he was stupid too, just like the rest of us."

"She worries about me too much sometimes," Paul interjected. He felt bad for getting mad at Haley for what was, he realized, a reasonable reaction to have. Plus, he wanted to shut this guy up. This was the second time this week someone had tried hitting on her, and for reasons he couldn't explain he hated it. He walked up to them, Chimchar at his heels. "Is that hard to understand?"

"What's hard to understand is your stupid decisions," Sam stated, nodding towards Chimchar. He then began, in a mocking voice, "Oh, let me send out a Fire type, and then use a Fire type move on a Dragon type. That'll work perfectly." He and his brother laughed.

"Fire Spin does damage over time, moron!" Haley defended. "Besides, typing isn't always everything. I beat Lance's Dragonite with an Eevee, and then with a Typhlosion."

"Babe, you have to stop standing up for this idiot," the mocking male replied. He suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her close, but just as quickly as he had his hands around her, they were off again. Paul had thrown him off her and then to a wall, pouncing at him to make sure he didn't go anywhere.

"Touch her again," he threatened, "and I promise I will break  _every_ bone in your body."

Sam looked at his brother. "Yo, Liam, what the hell?" he asked. "I thought you said they weren't dating."

"Because she told me," the pre-teen defended.

So now Paul was left to wonder whether he should tell the truth or start a charade. He was about to enact his plan when their order number was called. "Just leave us alone," he hissed before throwing Sam aside. He spun and stormed off, snatching the food before making his way to their room. Haley and Chimchar, after glaring at the brothers, quickly followed him. They got to the room just as Paul unlocked the door and opened it. Haley quickly snatched the food, set it on the desk that was on the opposite side of the room, and sat on the bed that was across from it, Chimchar in her lap, before Paul screamed in frustration. He punched the wall and then kicked it.

Haley let him go at it, cussing and assaulting the wall, for a full minute before she calmly said, "Words, Paul. I need you to explain in words other than cursing the high heavens if I am to help. I think I know everything that's bothering you, but can you tell me anyway?"

"You already know!" Paul spat. But he went on anyway. "That bastard Cyrus, the most humiliating loss  _ever_ , those three losers, and that's the second guy,  _the second guy_ , Haley! Fucking Arceus, it's annoying as shit!"

His partner took a deep breath. "Can you sit on the edge of your bed for me?"

"Why?!"

"Just sit down, Paul." He grunted and sat down, his arms crossed. "Take off your jacket."

"What?"

"Take off your stupid jacket."

Paul grunted again and unzipped his purple jacket and took it off, and then threw it onto their bags that had been thrown carelessly onto the floor. He crossed his arms again. "Now what?" he asked, still annoyed at not knowing what was going on. Suddenly she climbed onto the bed, kneeling behind him. He quickly turned to look at her. "What the hell are you-"

"Face forward, shut up, and relax," Haley demanded.

"Not before-"

"God, Paul, I'm trying to help, but you have to cooperate with me."

Now he let out a low growl. "Whatever," he grumbled and did as he was told, though relaxing was an issue. He had no idea what she had planned and it was making him a little tense. Then she gripped his shoulders and he jumped a little. He was about to protest with whatever was up her sleeve until she suddenly began to knead the backs of his shoulders with the bottom part of her palms. She was...massaging him? And oh God it felt amazing. He let out a little moan. "That feels gooooooood," he said.

"Glad you like it," Haley replied. "Now, how about we start from the top, and calmly this time. Tell me about Cyrus."

"I don't feel like revealing more of my past."

"That's fine. Whatever you feel is essential is fine by me, even if it's a simple 'I hate his guts, end of story'."

Paul let out a "hmph" of amusement. "He's a bastard," he stated. "Likes to threaten Reggie and I. Don't ask about what, I won't tell."

"Like I said, that's all I need," Haley responded, continuing her massage. She got another moan for her efforts. "If you feel like telling me later, that's all up to you. Okay, next. Cynthia."

"I just needed to blow off steam, although I assume you knew- wait, right there, a little harder." Haley had traveled her right hand to below his shoulder blade, and to his request she massaged it a little harder. "Yeah, that's it," he sighed. He completely relaxed; his arms (now on the bed) were barely holding him up as he let Haley do the stabilizing. "And my confidence was pretty high. Although, you were right, I was crazy. I didn't really think that through."

"You had every right to be angry with me on that," the masseuse said.

"No,  _you_ had the right to call me out," Paul argued.

"Not with everyone else ganging up on you. And don't say it didn't affect you, I'd call bullshit," she added quickly.

"Guess it did this time," he admitted. "But unlike them, you were saying it because you cared, not out of malice. And I snapped at you for no reason."

"Bullshit."

"What?"

"No reason, my ass. Childhood, ring a bell?"

Paul chuckled. "Damn it, you know me too well already. It's only been a month, two at most. How the hell do you do it?"

"A girl's got her ways," Haley answered. She fell silent for a while and focused on the massage. Paul had to try and keep his mind focused, but it was getting hard to do so. He was at least able to keep his mouth shut so that his increasing moans were slightly muffled. "Now, Team Rocket."

"Should have been there-"

"We were somewhere else, and I think Cynthia was right to show us that stone slab. You can't be in two places at once, Paul."

"We could have gotten one of our other Pokémon to guard them," Paul pointed out.

"Would've, should've, could've, didn't, so don't beat yourself up about it," Haley said. "Like Cynthia said, the most important thing is that everyone is safe."

"Chim-Chim," Chimchar agreed.

Paul looked at his Pokémon. He had kind of forgotten the chimp was there.  _But who could blame me?_ he thought.  _This massage is just so fucking amazing that I can't really focus on anything else but her movements and her voice._ He sighed. "I'm sorry, Chimchar," he said. "I've been a little stressed lately. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

Chimchar nodded in understanding. "It happens to everyone," Haley voiced. "Even though it's not right."

"Right," Paul stated. Then Haley massaged a pressure point, and the kneading sent a shiver running through his entire body. He couldn't keep his mouth closed any longer and let out a loud, elongated moan. "God damn it, Haley, why...mmm...why are you so fucking good at this?"

Haley chuckled. "Think you could keep that down just a tad? People might walk by and think we're doing something..." She leaned in and whispered into his ear, "Dirty."

Another shiver ran through his system, but he kept his cool and chuckled as well. "Let them think that," he whispered. "I'm sick of guys jumping for you."

"Why?" Haley asked, backing away and slowing her hands down. "That's the one thing out of all of this that I haven't really been able to read. I guessed Cyrus said things and that you wanted to blow off steam and that you felt like you should have been there but...why this?"

Why  _did_ he care that much? He had been wondering that himself. Paul put more weight on his arms since most of Haley's stability had gone away. "I'm...not really sure myself," he admitted.

"Is it because you think it's a distraction?" Haley offered.

Was that it? He couldn't really say for sure. "Maybe," he replied.

Haley sighed and ceased her work, then backed up so she was leaning against the pillow. Paul turned to face her to see that she was taking off her bandana and letting her hair down so she could run her fingers through her hair. "Tomorrow morning's going to be a disaster," she said. "That Sam guy wasn't the only one eyeing me, though I don't think you noticed."

There it was, that feeling again. His blood boiling and racing as if he were about to erupt but...why did that happen? This was the third time now, and he didn't understand why it happened. Suddenly, he remembered what he had wanted to do in the food corner. He smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about them," he stated.

"You have something in mind?" Haley asked. Paul told her, and after he was done she and Chimchar were laughing so hard tears were rolling down their faces. "Paul, you're a fucking genius!" his partner exclaimed.

"So I assume that means yes?"

" _Hell_ yes!" she cried. Then she looked at Chimchar. "I'm sorry you don't get to be apart of this, Chimchar."

The chimp shook his head, signaling it was okay. But Paul had other plans. "Actually, he will," he said. The two threw him curious looks, and he continued to explain. Now Chimchar looked pumped.

"Chim-Chim-him-char!" he chattered.

"Tomorrow morning's going to be  _sooo_ much fun!" Haley chuckled.

Paul chuckled as well. "Hey, do you think you could massage me again sometime?" he asked.

"Only if you're stressed out like that again," the masseuse replied. "I use to give them to my dad and my older brother when they were flipping out, and once I did it to my older brother when he wasn't. Apparently I'm too strong and I can't soften my kneading. So now it's a stress-relief tool only."

Another chuckle escaped Paul and he crawled over to her. "Well I thoroughly enjoyed it," he whispered.

"So I heard," Haley said smugly. Then she let out loud, exaggerated moans that soon turned into a laugh. It died down, and then she smiled. "You should wear your jacket less often," she stated. "That dark gray fitted t-shirt of yours looks really good on you."

Paul was thinking of how to respond to that. Legit or keep playing the game? He smirked. Of course he knew which one to pick. "So I take it you like what you see?" he asked.

"I'd like if I could see more," Haley purred with a smirk and half-lidded eyes. Clearly she liked playing the game, too.

"Chim?" the chimp piped up innocently. The Trainers looked over to him to see a confused look on his face.

Haley's eyes opened fully and she smiled. "So, what did you think of rehearsal, Chimchar?" she asked.

Chimchar looked surprised, and flustered to figure out an answer. Eventually he gave a thumps-up. "Chim!" he exclaimed.

The girl groaned jokingly. "One thumps-up, Paul. Pathetic."

He smirked. "Hey, we can't put our best foot forward when it isn't even the main act," he stated. "Alright, Flirtatious, off my bed." He pushed her off, sending her tumbling to the floor. "And can you get my food for me?"

She stood up, her cheeks puffed. "Asshole," she muttered. Haley walked over to the desk. "I shouldn't be doing this, you lazy ass. I give you a massage and this is the thanks I get? And who are you to call  _me_ 'Flirtatious' when you're the one whispering in my ear."

"Well you're the one pulling the half-lidded eyes," Paul replied.

Haley ignored him for a while as she fished a Sitrus Berry out of her backpack. "Take slow bites, Chimchar, and then get some sleep," she told the Pokémon as she set the berry down in front of him. "You can use my bed and sleep with me tonight."

"Chim," he said, nodding, and then went to eat the berry.

"And you," she addressed Paul, "were the one you took my genuine compliment the wrong way."

Paul smirked again. "If you didn't want it to sound flirtatious, you shouldn't have added the fitted part. And by the way, it's dark blue."

"Since when are you an expert?" He shrugged, making Haley roll her eyes. "Whatever. And I say it's a dark bluish gray. Here's your food." She dropped the box that held his dinner onto his bed. "And don't you even  _dare_ and ask for me to feed you."

"What made you think I was? That sounds stupid."

"People do it, don't ask me why."

"Well I'm not one of those people, alright?"

"Good."

They ate in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. Chimchar finished most of the berry and then fell asleep curled up next to Haley. She ran her hand up and down his back for a while, and then went to take a shower. Paul lied in his bed, looking up at the ceiling and listening to the running water. He began to feel his eyelids drooping.  _Maybe this wasn't the best idea,_ he thought. He tried to keep himself awake, but only succeed in drifting off to sleep.

...

"..ul...aul...PAUL!"

The sudden yell jolted him awake and he crashed onto the floor. "Ugh, what?" he mumbled.

"I've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes," Haley replied sternly.

"What time is it?" Paul asked as he stood up.

"8:30."

"That's early."

"You've been asleep for more than twelve hours." When Paul blinked in confusion, Haley sighed. "I came out of the bathroom at eight last night, and you were already conked out," she explained.

"Huh," was his reply. "I'm going to take a shower, then, since I didn't last night."

Haley shrugged. "Do whatever." And then she went back to Chimchar, who was on her bed and looking very, very close to 100% again.

Paul grabbed his jacket off of the floor and went into the bathroom. 10 minutes later he emerged, his jacket back on and his hair dry. And, as Haley noticed when she turned, he had a smirk on his face. "You ready to make some bastards jealous?" he asked.

"Actually, I've been thinking," Haley began. "What if no one is down there?"

"They will be."

"And how would you know?"

"Intuition," he replied. Then he looked at his Pokémon. "Chimchar, you feeling okay?"

Chimchar looked pumped. "Chim-Chimchar!" he exclaimed.

His Trainer smirked again and then returned the chimp to his Poké Ball. "Let's go get the other three," he said. "And don't start until I-"

"Paul, I know the plan," Haley chuckled. She grabbed her backpack. "Let's go. I want to make it to Hearthome sometime this century."

Her partner let out a grunt of amusement and they left the room. They walked over to Nurse Joy, who said all of Paul's Pokémon were at 100% (including Chimchar; Paul had brought him out just to make sure and then returned him right after). They turned and began walking, and Paul noticed Sam eyeing Haley. Then he noticed all of the other eyes on the girl next to him. Looking around the lobby, he couldn't believe it. Guys were smiling like idiots, studying every inch of her, or both. He even saw one boy drooling. And upon seeing him, Paul set the plan in motion. His arm wrapped around Haley and grabbed her right shoulder. It was a total douchebag move, and he remembered seeing a few couples on his journey and rolling his eyes, but now he was enjoying it because he was getting the best reactions. He almost broke the façade to roll on the floor laughing. When it was clear he had gotten their attention (the kid from earlier wiping his drool gave him the cue), he squeezed her shoulder. She rested her head on his chest and snuggled.

Something unexpected happened.

Electricity...that's what it felt like, and he should know. It ran through his entire body, spreading from the center of his chest to every tip of his body, just like when Braxton had shocked him with that device of his all those years ago. But unlike those 20,000 volts, this electricity felt nice. Really nice. He almost jumped and gave a weird face, but if that happened the act would be over, so he just gave off a smile as he pondered why Haley's action had done that to him. Then five boys (one of them Sam), blocked their way, and they looked pissed. He smirked. Now the fun part could begin. "Oh, hello, is there something you need?" he asked in a pleasant way, which succeed in making the five of them even more agitated.

"What the hell is this?" Sam asked, speaking for all of them.

"Is there a problem? 'Cause I don't see the problem of a guy putting an arm around his girlfriend." Paul had to slightly force himself to say  _that_ word. It wasn't like he hated Haley or the word, but they weren't even friends ( _At least, I think that's the case,_ he thought), much less was she his  _girlfriend._

One of the other boys, a redhead, spoke up this time. "But Liam said you two weren't-"

"Oh, that," Paul interrupted. "See, we just started last week, and we actually use to be at each others throats, so she's not quite use to this." In a way he figured his explanation wasn't a total lie. The first few minutes they knew each other they were arguing pretty bad, and he figured the "we just started" was as close to "we're not actually dating" that he could get.

"Fine then, we challenge you to a battle for her!" proclaimed a black-with-red-streaks haired boy.

 _That was quicker than expected,_ Paul thought, smirking internally. He figured it would come to this, and he really didn't like that idea because he tried to treat women with respect (annoyances got an exception). He recalled the discussion he and Haley had the night before.

XXX

_"The one problem I have is that they'll probably ask to fight for you," he had said._

_"Normally, I wouldn't either, but I can handle an exception this once," Haley had replied. "I'm thinking of a plan to deal with it, anyway, and it goes along with this fake couple thing we're doing."_

_"Care to share?" Haley explained. "Not bad," Paul had agreed. "I'm still not entirely comfortable about all of this, though."_

_"You want to fight them anyway to show your actually strength, why not? Right Chimchar?"_

_"Chim-Chim."_

XXX

With that Paul agreed. He was still going to voice his discomfort with the situation. "Haley isn't an item, you know," he stated.

"Farfetch'd, Grape-Head?" another blond taunted.  **(A/N: Yes, I am using Farfetch'd in replacement to chicken. Thanks to a review by a guest, I did remember that the Torchic line is based off of a chicken, but I just don't see Torchic, Combusken, or Blaziken as an insult. So unless someone has a suggestion, I'm leaving it as Farfetch'd.)**

Paul really wasn't angered by the taunt since these five boys didn't really matter to him, but he decided to act as if he was. He forced his eye to twitch and made his face into a scowl, and he was about to speak when he felt a tug at his arm. He looked to see Haley with a spark in her eye. "Paul, I'm okay with it," she said with a smile. "Besides..." She then proceeded to run her fingers through his hair. His body began to heat up and spread from end to end just like the electricity, and once again he had to resist jumping, instead settling on relaxing because that's what her fingers were doing: making him feel relaxed. They ran through so smoothly. "I _love_ watching you battle," she purred.  _Damn it she sounds so...so..._  He didn't want to think of the word despite the fact that he knew what it was.

He watched the five boys' irritation grow. He smirked. "Alright," he agreed. "But only because you make such a great persuader." When he said "persuader", he put quite the emphasis on it, hoping the boys would catch his meaning.

Judging by their expressions, they got it alright, and if looks could kill, Paul would be dead ten times over.

"But we play by my rules, since this is my girlfriend were fighting for," Paul stated, stepping forward after Haley stopped. "I will fight all five of you, one at a time. You can only use one Pokémon, but I get four."

"Four?" Sam repeated.

"That's all I'll need," Paul sneered.

"Yesterday-"

"I fought the Champion. Today, I fight  _losers_." Their eyes widened, only to go to furious looks.

"You're on," Sam snarled.

The seven, along with a crowd that had gathered, found themselves at the park again. In the walk over there, thanks to the five boys trying to talk to Haley (resulting in Paul having to pull her away), they found out that they were all friends.  _And they're_ all  _trying to get her?_ Paul questioned.  _What the hell are thinking of? A six-some?_ He then immediately beat himself mentally for thinking of such a stupid idea. Besides, he had a battle to focus on. The first boy (the black-with-red-streaks; apparently his name was Jamie, but Paul hadn't paid much attention) was up first, and it was Paul's Murkrow versus his Dodrio. The three-headed bird charged using Fury Attack, but Paul had Murkrow blind it with Haze. "Faint Attack!" he ordered. Murkrow disappeared from sight.

"On guard, Dodrio!" Jamie advised. With three heads, that meant six eyes were scanning for the Darkness Pokémon. But there was one place it would never be able to look.

Paul smirked. "Watch your back," he warned. The comment confused his opponents, and they were even more confused when Murkrow appeared behind Dodrio, charging with a white aura.

"Sky Attack?" the boy asked in confusion and shock as his Pokémon was struck in the back by it. "But you used Faint Attack-"

"As a distraction," Paul finished as Murkrow flew to their side of the field. "It's a little trick I learned after watching someone battle recently." He and Murkrow had been working on this combo ever since Haley's Gym Battle with Gardenia, and "Combo Master" was there to give them pointers. From Paul's perspective, it was pretty close to being perfect.

"Tri Attack!" Jamie ordered angrily.

"Faint Attack once more!" Murkrow disappeared just as the attack was about to hit him.

Jamie grunted. "Look  _everywhere_ this time!" he yelled. "And jump when he charges with that Sky Attack of his!" Paul smirked once and made a "tsk, tsk, tsk" noise.

"Honestly, never use the same trick twice in a row," he advised.

"Hey, don't go stealing my lines!" Haley yelled just as Murkrow reappeared in front of Dodrio, starting it, and then ramming into it. Dodrio fell to the ground, fainted, and Jamie growled at Paul.

"Next," was all Paul said.

It was now Brett, the redhead, and his Arcanine versus Weavile. Paul sighed. He liked the Growlithe line just as much as the next guy, but he had dealt with one love-struck idiot using it, and now he was stuck with another. "Fire Fang!" Brett commanded. Arcanine sprung into action.

"Dodge and use Swords Dance while you do so!" Paul ordered. Weavile sidestepped Arcanine's Fire Fang and making his claws longer as his feet moved. Both Pokémon were fast, but Weavile proved to be a bit faster as he kept ahead of Arcanine. "Night Slash, let's go!" Weavile spun to face the oncoming Fire type, then charged, jumped over its head and onto its back, and slashed with his glowing purple claws. Arcanine let out a yelp of pain and crashed to the ground and, thanks to the Swords Dance along with Night Slash's higher chance of critical hits, fainted. Paul chuckled at how it fell rather quickly and Weavile jumped to be in front of him, a smirk on his face.

"Wea-Weavile!" he jeered, causing Brett to growl.

Now it was Daniel, the other blonde's, turn. His Vigoroth was up against Torterra. And that battle didn't take long, either. Vigoroth tried using Slash but was blown away by Leaf Storm, and then was finished off by Rock Slide. Next was the fourth boy, a brown haired boy named Chad, and his choice was a Marowak. Chimchar was Paul's fourth and final Pokémon, and Chad looked like he figured something out. "You've been using the Pokémon that used yesterday!" he noted.

"Thanks, Sherlock," Paul commented, causing Chad to growl at the insult and then angrily order Bonemerang. The Bone Keeper Pokémon threw its bone, which Chimchar dodged with Flame Wheel and then used it to hit Marowak. He used Flame Wheel right after breaking out of the first, and then jumped back. The Ground type had been so distracted it didn't notice its bone coming back and failed to catch it, instead getting hit square on the forehead, knocking it out.

Sam didn't take the fact that all of his friends had lost so well. "I can't believe all of you lost to  _him_ ," he spat. "Fine, I'll handle this. Golduck, show 'em how it's done!" The blue Duck Pokémon materialized and stared at the chimp. Chimchar flinched when looking at the Water type, but quickly recovered. The quick flinch didn't go unnoticed by Sam, however, and he snickered. "Aw, is wittle Chimchar scared?" he mocked.

Neither Paul nor Chimchar reacted to his comment. "Dig, let's go," Paul ordered calmly. The chimp clawed his way into the ground.

"Water Pulse into the hole!" Sam shouted. Golduck jumped and formed a water sphere in its hands. But when it went to fire it into the hole, it only stared with a look of shock. "Yo, Golduck, what's wrong?"  _The fact that I'm seeing something I shouldn't_ , the Pokémon thought. What he saw was a smirking red chimp.

Chimchar hadn't planned on going anywhere.

"Fire Spin!" Chimchar released the spinning vortex, which hit Golduck dead on and evaporated the Water Pulse. The Water type fell to the ground, engulfed in flames. "Scratch, let's go!" Chimchar jumped out of the hole and charged at Golduck, slashing at him with sharp claws.

Sam growled. "Water Gun!"

"Dodge!" Chimchar ducked under the shot and then threw a punch to Golduck's side. That along with the earlier attacks and Fire Spin's effect sent the Duck Pokémon to his knees, and then Chimchar finished the job with one last Scratch attack. When Golduck fainted, he and Paul smirked.

_Flawless victory._

The five boys didn't know what to say. Their faces fluctuated from irritated to disappointed to defeated and then circled to the beginning again. It went on for some time until they settled on a new face: annoyed. "I don't buy this," Daniel grumbled.

"Buy what? That you lost spectacularly?" Paul sneered as he returned Chimchar and Haley walked up to him. "We have a whole crowd of witnesses if you need confirmation."

"He means  _this_ ," Brett stated, pointing at Paul and then at Haley and back again. "And I agree. This seems set up."

"Jealously clouds the mind," Haley replied. "I mean, how you mistake this as being set up?" Then she kissed Paul's cheek.

Fireworks. That's what the sensation that was currently traveling up and down his spine felt like. It was like fireworks popping and crackling along his nerves. He was struggling to not drop the act, fearing any second he'd do something stupid. Quickly composing himself mentally, he smirked, turned to her, and titled her chin up gently with one finger. "Oh come on, you can do better than that," he said smugly. Haley giggled.

"Okay, okay!" Sam exclaimed. The two looked at the group and watched as Sam sighed in defeat. "Sorry for trying to steal your girl, man. And sorry for doubting you about it."

Haley looked at him. "That's not all you need to apologize for," she said.

"You can't be serious," Jamie said flatly.

"I don't know if Sam told you, but I'll say it again: at least Paul had the guts," Haley retorted. "So  _apologize_."

The five boys sighed. "We apologize," they groaned.

Paul wondered if Haley would be looking for a better apology (not that he cared), but she just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. That's the best we're going to get, I guess. Let's go..." She winked at Paul. "Love. Hearthome won't come to us." Paul smiled as she walked away, then smirked at the boys before following her. And when they were far enough away, the pent up freak out moment finally exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Paul cried frantically.

"They weren't going to believe us if we just kept saying it!" Haley retorted.

"I wish you had at least  _warned_ me!" He let out a cry of frustration. "I almost looked like an idiot!"

"Almost only counts in horseshoes," was the witty reply. Paul let out another cry and then slammed his head against a tree. Haley watched as Paul rubbed his forehead and then ran his fingers through his hair. She sighed. "Though, I guess you're right," she continued. "I should have warned you. But it was a reactionary decision. They weren't going to believe us for much longer, and I just came up with it on the fly. Look, the point is, I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine," Paul assured, finally calming down. "It just caught me off guard." He turned to look her and smirked. "Besides, I had fun."

"Oh, you did, did you?" Haley chuckled. "And I bet you're somewhat pleased your Pokémon got some training in, right?" She didn't wait for an answer as she spun on her heels. "Let's get moving. Like I said earlier, I would like to get to Hearthome some time this century."

Paul nodded and watched her take the lead. He waited for a few seconds before following, the smirk still visible on his face.

It was one of those days. Those days that made him feel like nothing else would go wrong.

...

A face-twitching Paul plus occasional grumbling equaled a not good sign, and Haley knew it. She knew that she had to think of something to lighten the mood, and fast. " _Let it go, Let it go, Can't hold it back_ -"

"Keeping singing that song and I  _will not_ hesitate to hurt you," Paul snapped. There was silence before he added, "Badly."

"Alright, alright, sorry," Haley stated. "But seriously, can you just forget about that Fearow?"

"No I can't 'just forget about that Fearow'," he repeated mockingly and slightly annoyed. "It looked strong, I wanted it, and they made it flee, end of story." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and mumbled in an annoyed tone under his breath. Haley grumbled. This was getting old. When he didn't stop after a minute or so, she snapped and slapped him upside the head. "Ow! What the hell?!"

"That incident was two days ago!" Haley shouted. "You have been irritated about it since then, and I'm sick and tired of it!" She huffed and rubbed her right temple. "Now if you don't shut up,  _I'm_ going to have to use that duct tape."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Do you seriously believe I have duct tape?" he asked.

"I will  _make_ duct tape appear if I have to!"

"Will you stop thinking about the stupid duct tape?!"

"Only if you stop thinking about the stupid Fearow!"

"WELCOME TO HEARTHOME CITY!" a little boy randomly cheered. Since they had been so absorbed in their argument, the partners were caught off guard and tripped over each other, tumbling to the floor, with Paul on top of Haley's back. The boy slid over to the pile and blinked. "Are...you two okay?"

"I've had better days..." Haley whined quietly.

Paul picked himself up, letting Haley have the ability to stretch. "Did you really have to yell?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"I'm welcoming tourists," the boy declared. "What's wrong with that?"

There was silence, and then it broke when Paul sighed. "Whatever. Do you know the way to the Gym?" After a round of confusing directions, a woman (the boy's mother) walked up and gave them understandable directions. Haley said thank you, Paul bowed (and then glared at the boy, only to receive another slap upside the head), and the two went to the Gym. It was hard to miss: a four-story building with a Drifblim on top and a very elegant door. But when they got to said elegant door, they found a not-so-elegant note tape to the door that said the Gym was-

"CLOSED?!" Haley screeched.

"Bullshit!" Paul shouted. "What is it with Gym Leaders and not doing their jobs?!"

"Technically, Roark was at his job," Haley stated. "He also works in the Oreburgh Mines, and he came back rather quickly."

Paul huffed. "Fine, sure, but does that excuse  _this_?!" He pointed to the note, which described that Fantina was going on a journey of her own.

"I never gave this an excuse, I was excusing Roark," Haley replied, a little growl obvious in her voice. The two bickered for a while until finally Haley took a deep breath. "You know what, we just need to calm down. We didn't stop until really late last night and we've been walking all morning." Under her breath she mumbled, "And  _someone_ still isn't over his Fearow."

"I heard that," Paul grumbled. "Don't think your comments are helping."

"Anyways, I think I have an idea. There was this café-"

Paul turned and began walking to the Pokémon Center (at least, to where he thought it was). "No," he said flatly.

"You didn't even let me finish!" Haley cried. "And how do you know that's the way to the Pokémon Center?"

The purple-haired teen stopped. "I don't," he admitted with no change in tone.

Haley face palmed. "Listen. I saw desserts on the menu, and one of the items I saw was chocolate lava cake." She was staring down the street they had just come up, so she didn't notice Paul straitening up. "It was just down that road, a little ways back. I don't know about you, but whenever I need to calm down, chocolate helps me out quite a bit." She looked at Paul, finally noticing he hadn't moved. "Hey, are you okay?"

There was silence, and then he turned around, his eyes wide. "Chocolate...lava cake?" he repeated.

His partner stared at him in disbelief. "You and your sweets..." she finally whispered in shock. "Well, if that's what works, I guess we should go."

"Just show me where the café is," Paul grumbled, feeling stupid for sounding like a child. But Haley saw the glint in his eyes, and to that she gave off a tiny smile.

"Sure," Haley replied.

They walked back down the road, and soon found the café. Noticing the chalkboard and seeing the various items, Paul gulped. "Damn it," he whispered.

"What?" his partner asked.

"I just hate how much of a child I am when it comes to sweets."

"So am I."

Paul smirked. "The difference, however, is that you almost  _always_ act like a child," he stated.

"I resent that," Haley said. "And I'm doing something nice for you, so the last thing you should be doing is insulting me." Paul just shrugged and walked inside. Haley rolled her eyes and followed him.

The café was a little dimmer than the one back in Floaroma Town, but it still had that homey feel. In fact, to Paul, it felt more comfortable. No windows so no one could look in, a guitar quietly playing on the speakers, the wood was a dark brown instead of white, and there was even a bar in the back. And speaking of the bar, that's where the two decided to sit. Paul didn't have the nervous feeling in his stomach like last time, and he wasn't sure if it was because of the atmosphere or that he had gotten more use to Haley's company. When the man behind the counter asked what they wanted, Haley replied wondering how big the lava cake was. "Enough to share between the two of you," he answered.

"Then we'll take that," Haley stated.

"Do you want me to cut it in half?"

"You don't cut chocolate lava cake in half!" the two teenagers cried, causing the one other customer in the café to jump. The waiter blinked and then hurried off to place the order.

Haley suddenly giggled. "What's so funny?" Paul asked.

"Well, two things. One, that we said the exact same thing and two, how  _are_ we going to spilt this?"

Paul opened his mouth, about to say that there was nothing wrong with eating the same cake, but then he closed it. He was silent for a few seconds. "Um..." he said, and then he sighed, deciding to stick to his original plan. "We'll just eat it. Nothing wrong with that." Then he looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Unless you're sick and I somehow didn't notice and or wasn't told."

The girl next to him shook her head, a smile on her face. "Nope, nope," she replied.

"Ugh, now I'm thinking of a girl version of Zach," Paul groaned. "Thanks for that." Haley laughed.

A few minutes later, the cake came out along with two forks. The waiter asked one more time if they were sure they didn't want it spilt, but that only got another cry of protest, and this time the other customer chuckled. The waiter glared at him. "Yeah, just keep laughing, Clyde," he warned. "I might make you treat us next time we go out for a drink."

"Clint, you wouldn't," his friend jokingly gasped.

Haley laughed again and took the first stab. "Hey!" Paul snapped.

"I'm paying, so I get first bite," Haley reasoned. Paul grumbled as the piece went into her mouth and then went for his own piece, which was quite big. "Hey!"

Paul just smirked as he took his bite. "What can I say?" he said. "Chocolate lave cake is my favorite."

"You're lucky I'm so nice," Haley mumbled.

"Yeah man, you should treat your girlfriend nicer," Clyde chuckled.

"No, no, see, that was eight days ago," Haley joked.

Clyde raised an eyebrow, and then he went, "Oooh. You guys played a prank?" Haley laughed to confirm. Clyde laughed, too. "Ah man, that's one of the oldest tricks. My wife and I did that when  _we_ were younger."

"Your wife?" Paul asked.

"My best friend at the time," the man explained. "She's a beauty, kind of like her." He pointed at Haley as he said that. "Guys couldn't keep their eyes off of her, and it was pissing us off. So we pulled the play. And the more we did it, the more I fell in love with her."

"And you've regretted it ever since," Clint taunted.

"I only regret her cooking," Clyde replied. Haley giggled. "So if Chocolate guy ain't your boyfriend, who is?" he asked.

 _Chocolate guy?_ Paul repeated in his head.  _Add a "Mister" in front of that, and that's a nickname Haley would come up with._ "I don't have one," Haley stated.

"You probably have a celebrity boyfriend," Paul joked with a smirk on his face. "Let me guess, Fiorello Cappucino like every other girl?"

Haley flicked his arm. "Far from it, Mister Chocolate Guy," she stated.  _And there we go,_ Paul chuckled. "I don't see what's so great about him. The other girls can have their Romance star. Steven Stone...now we're talking."

"The former Hoenn Champion that  _you_  beat out of his spot?" Paul said.

"He was going on a journey, regardless if I beat him or not," she informed. Then their forks clashed going for the last piece. "Oh no, Mister, that's  _mine_ ," Haley challenged.

Paul smirked once more and quickly grabbed the cake with his fingers. Haley's jaw dropped as he put it into his mouth. "I don't think so," he replied smugly.

His reward was a glare. "That's it. I'm  _so_ done doing nice things for you." Paul chuckled and Clyde laughed as Haley grumbled incoherently while she paid. Then she sighed. "Well, guess we should get moving. The next Gym is in Veilstone City, right?"

"Guess so seeing as some Gym Leader doesn't want their position," Paul stated.

It was Clint's turn to laugh. "That woman is quite the traveler," he explained. "She's always looking for a new style of battling."

"So she does this often?" Haley asked.

"And frequently pisses off Trainers like you two," Clyde added. "Hey, if you guys are looking for battling, there's a tournament coming up in two days. It's called the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition."

The two turned to him. "A Tag Battle Competition?" Haley repeated.

"Yep. Happens every year right after the Contest. Sometimes Coordinators compete if they lose in the Contest, though it's very rare."

Paul's gears were turning. "Are there strong Trainers?" he asked.

"Almost always," Clint replied. "Are you thinking of competing?"

"Possibly," Paul answered.

Haley tapped her finger on the counter. "...No," she finally said.

"No?" her partner questioned.

"Think if we were paired," she reasoned. "We would cream the competition so bad they'd all fly into next month. And besides, I'm not a huge fan of tournaments. I'll watch them, but I rarely participate."

 _Maybe that's why she does the Elite Four Run,_ Paul thought. "Your loss," he said aloud. He hopped off his stool. "I'm going to go train."

"Because of course you will," Haley stated. "Clint, do you know where the Pokémon Center is so my power-hungry fri...partner doesn't get lost?"

Paul could have sworn she almost said "friend", but decided not to say anything. Clint told them where the Pokémon Center was, and Haley told him he would meet him there since she wanted to explore. Paul shrugged and walked off. He went to the battlefield that was right behind the Pokémon Center and released his Pokémon. They looked at him. "We have some preparations to make," he told them. He looked at all them, but he looked at Chimchar the most. "We have a tournament to win." Everyone nodded, especially Chimchar.

But for whatever reason, the chimp couldn't shake this terrible feeling that was racing through his stomach.

...

Two days later, and the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition was upon everyone. Paul had signed up and was handed a card that had the number "5" on it. "Aw, two spots away from being in the top three," Haley joked. Paul rolled his eyes at his partner's corny joke. Despite his lack of enthusiasm, the chocolate had help quite a bit, although it seemed to be running out. But all things considered, today was a good day.

An hour later they went to the stadium, where they spilt up, Haley to the bleachers and Paul (with Chimchar and Elekid by his side since they were the ones who were going to appear the most) to the battlefield. Soon the MC and Mayor, Enta, came onto the stage and made his opening speech. Of course the purple-haired Trainer tuned most of it out, seeing as what he was here for wasn't a sappy speech. Then the MC hit a red button, and numbers appeared on the brackets on the jumbo-tron scoreboard. Paul noticed his number was in the "H" block and matched with "15", whoever that was.  _I just hope they aren't pathetic,_ Paul thought. Enta instructed the Trainers to find their partners, and Paul began wandering around, looking for Number 15. He then noticed a familiar-looking Pikachu sitting atop a very familiar-looking Trainer's head.  _Oh, please no..._ But of course, bad luck had to be on his side. The card Pikachu was holding read "15". He sighed mentally.  _I_ REALLY  _need to start knocking on wood_ , he thought with a scowl on his face. "Of course  _you_  had to be number 15," he scoffed.

"And I'm ready to win!" Ash exclaimed happily, turning around and not noticing Paul until he opened his eyes. His face turned into that of surprise and then to a frown. "Hey Paul," he greeted dryly, not liking the situation any more than Paul.

Haley, of course, noticed this since she was sitting in the front row. She huffed. "Umbreon?"

"Um?"

"Remember how I said the chocolate had been doing good, and that today was a good day?"

"Um."

"I think all of that chocolate finally drained, and I take back what I said: today's  _not_ a good day."


	11. An Uncivil Game of Tag

A few moments of intensity flowed through the air, but if you weren't Ash, Paul, Brock, Dawn, or Haley, you wouldn't be able to tell. Finally, Paul broke the silence by crushing his card. "Of course, I have no choice," he stated in an annoyed tone. He then pointed at his partner. "You just make sure you don't get in my way!"

"Hold on!" Ash exclaimed. "That is  _no_ way to talk to your tag battle partner!"

* * *

 

**(A/N: The voices again. In all honesty, this one makes sense. And I think for this and the next chapter I'm just going to integrate it into normal dialogue. Just remember that the humans don't understand them...)**

* * *

 

Pikachu, however, didn't want the two to argue. "Ash, come on, don't do this," he pleaded. He jumped off of Ash's shoulder and walked up to Elekid. "Hey Elekid, what's up?" he asked happily. Sure, the two were as big of rivals as their Trainers, but maybe the two Electric types could show them a thing or two.

Elekid looked at his rival.  _Seriously?_ he thought. But he decided to play a little trick. "Not much," he replied happily, chuckling a little. It sounded happy, but underneath it was a hint of smugness. Elekid held out his hand.  _Oh he's so gonna get it._

The Mouse Pokémon fell for the nice act and extended his own paw. But just before they connected Elekid flicked Pikachu's forehead, sending him back to Ash's feet. Pikachu, of course, wasn't pleased. "Oh well,  _excuse_ me, punk!" he snapped, his cheeks giving off electricity.

The prong on Elekid's head gave off electricity as well. "Sorry I don't associate with losers!" he mocked.

 _That_ got Pikachu's blood boiling. He was ready to release a Thunderbolt. "Hey, Pikachu!" Ash called, not wanting a battle right here and now. He ran over and grabbed Pikachu. "Cut it out!" But it was too late, and he ended up getting shocked by the attack. He crumbled to the floor.

Pikachu ran up to his best friend. "Ah, I'm sorry Ash!" he cried. "I didn't mean to!"

"Wow, you sure are strong these days," Ash said in pain.

Elekid, meanwhile, was snickering.  _Now_ that  _was hilarious!_ the Electric type thought.

Paul didn't agree.  _Great, I'm partnered up with an idiot, not that I didn't already know._ "Just pathetic," he said aloud.

Ash was on his feet again and growling. But when Enta started speaking again, Ash forgot about his rude rival, and Paul ignored everything again. That is, until he heard the chime of Soothe Bells. He looked to the stage and saw two in the Mayor's hand.  _Wait,_ that's  _first place prize?_ he asked.  _You'd think it be money or Poké Food but this...why am I wasting time here again? Oh yeah, training._ He quickly glanced at Chimchar. The training for the past two days for the chimp had been...awkward. For some reason, Chimchar wasn't as confident with his battling as he had been, and Paul couldn't help but wonder why. It couldn't have been his battle with Cynthia; he had gotten over that. The MC announced that the battles wouldn't begin until later that afternoon, and he figured he would use that time to figure out what was wrong with his Fire type. He began to walk off. "Paul, where are you going?" Ash asked.

"None of your business," Paul stated.

He heard Ash growl again as he continued to walk. "Paul!" he heard. He looked into the bleachers and noticed Haley and Umbreon jump down. "Don't tell me you're seriously thinking of training more," she sighed.

"There's not much more I can do for now," the competitor replied. He looked at Chimchar, and this time the chimp took notice. "There's been something that's been bugging me for a while."

"About Chimchar?" Haley clarified as the five started walking out of the stadium. "What about him?"

Chimchar tilted his head, and then turned to Elekid. "I...didn't do something wrong, did I?" he asked.

"You always seem to," Elekid sneered.

The Fire type flinched, and Umbreon glared. "Elekid, I know you and Chimchar are about as close as you and Pikachu, but you can at least  _try_ holding your tongue," she scolded. Elekid rolled his eyes, but Umbreon ignored him and turned her attention to Chimchar. "Don't worry, buddy," she assured. "It's probably something small, like a little correction that's needed in your form or something. Haley and I do it all the time."

"R-right," Chimchar said.

"I think it's something with his confidence," Paul stated, not noticing the whispers of their Pokémon. Chimchar and Umbreon whipped their heads, and Elekid gave a confused look.

"Confidence?" Haley repeated. "Why confidence? If anything, his confidence is higher than ever. Unless..." She suddenly scooped Chimchar up. "This is your first tournament, right?" Chimchar looked at her, his mouth open, and then nodded slowly. Haley looked at Paul. "What if it's stage fright? I mean, there are about two thousand people here, maybe more."

"You can't be serious," Paul replied flatly. "There's no way you're suggesting one of my Pokémon has stage fright."

"Y-yeah, that's not it!" Chimchar cried.

Haley looked at the chimp when he had his sudden outburst. "Apparently not," she said. "Okay, then what?"

So they went to the Pokémon Center, which was actually across from the stadium, and sat at a table, trying to come up with ideas on how Chimchar was different. All of their ideas got shot down by the chimp, even Umbreon and Elekid's (although his were very rare). By idea 50 Chimchar was getting irritated. "Maybe there's nothing wrong with me, and everyone's just paranoid," he mumbled.

The female Trainer rubbed her temples and then suddenly sat up straight in her chair. "Chimchar, what if the problem is that you sense something bad?" she piped up.

All heads snapped to her. "Uh..." Chimchar said stupidly. He nodded as he replied, "Y-yeah." There was silence, and then Paul slammed his hands on the table.

"Really?" he asked. "The reason you've been off your game is because you  _think_ something bad  _might_ happen?" He narrowed his eyes. "Are you suggesting we might lose?"

Chimchar jumped. "I-it has nothing to do with losing!" he declared, shaking his head and arms furiously.

"I don't Chimchar thinks you guys will lose," Haley said, pointing at the panicking chimp.

"Then what is he so worried about?" Paul cried. No one answered, not even Chimchar, and Paul threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine, I give up. We have some part of the problem figured out, so I guess that's something." He leaned in towards Chimchar and looked him right in the eyes. " _Don't_ ," he began, "let this feeling of yours get in the way, understand?"

"Y-yes, sir," Chimchar stated.

Elekid snickered. "Knowing you, you will anyway," he said.

"Okay, you know what..." Umbreon growled. She used Faint Attack and sent him flying towards the wall, but just before he hit it, the Moonlight Pokémon used Psychic and held him in place. She ran up to him and stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Hey!" Paul exclaimed as he and Haley shot out of their seats. "Haley, what the hell?"

"Umbreon doesn't do that unless she feels it's necessary," Haley defended. "He  _has_ been snickering for a while now. He must have finally made her snap."

"Okay, maybe he deserved it-"

"Whose side are you on?!"

"But I kind of need him."

"Chimchar's up first, right?" Haley reasoned. "I'll make sure he's fine before he fights."

Umbreon chuckled darkly. "Hear that? That means I get to teach you a lesson."

Elekid narrowed his eyes, matching hers. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

"Who are you anyway, his mother?"

"At least I care more than you do, oh supposed teammate."

The Electric type unleashed a weak Thunder on purpose, catching Umbreon off guard but not making her release her hold ( _Damn it!_ Elekid thought), even after she became paralyzed. Of course, thanks to her ability, Elekid became paralyzed as well ( _Double damn it!_ ). Haley and Paul sighed. "Idiots," they mumbled.

"Can we just have a damn Cheri Berry?" Umbreon mumbled.

Chimchar watched as the female Trainer walked over and scolded them, told Umbreon to release Elekid, and gave them Cheri Berries only after they promised to be civil. The chimp sighed. "This is going to be a long day," he told himself.

The tournament finally began (all too slowly for our group of five, who were dealing with tension between Umbreon and Elekid), and the first match was Dawn and her partner Conway versus Alyssa and Paxton. Dawn's team demonstrated the real meaning of teamwork, since Slowking was there to provide defense while Piplup attacked. They won their match easily, and of course her friends were impressed. Even Haley (she had been allowed to be in the competitors' box thanks to Paul), this being her first time seeing Dawn fight, had to admit Piplup was actually somewhat good. "They're unstoppable!" Ash commented.

"Doubting yourself already?" Haley joked.

"Can't a guy make a statement?" Ash stated with a smile. Then he turned towards Paul. "You know, we should be doing that too, Paul." Suddenly, he and Haley had to duck from an oncoming Flamethrower. "Hey, what was that for?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Give Chimchar your suggestions," Paul shot back, looking at his Fire type and desperately trying to ignore Haley's glares.  _Man, I don't think they've_ ever  _been this intense,_ he thought.  _Oh please make it go away._

Ash stood up from his crouch position, as did Haley. The younger male complimented Chimchar's Flamethrower (a move he had learned the day before, replacing Fire Spin), but his rival debunked it, calling it weak. "I thought it was great," Ash stated. He began walking over to Paul. "Hey, why don't you let us help you out?"

"Sorry," Paul retorted, obviously not meaning it, "we don't need your help."

That sparked an argument, and the two went back and forth, one saying that they had to work together and the other refusing to do so. Even Pikachu and Elekid got in on it. "Sounds like you've forgotten the  _purpose_ of this competition," Dawn piped up, and all four boys looked at her. "Fact of the matter is, both Trainers and Pokémon have to constantly think about  _each other_  in a tag battle."

"Paul barely thinks about himself," Haley interjected.

"You know I  _could_ get you kicked out of here," Paul said.

"Oh you better not!" Haley exclaimed, walking up to him. "Not after you almost scorched me!"

"It wasn't on purpose," he argued calmly.

She raised an eyebrow. "'You know, we should be doing that too, Paul'," she mimicked, and pretty well, too. "Next thing you know,  _FWOSH_ , fire aimed in our direction. You keep telling yourself that wasn't on purpose and I'll keep rolling my eyes." Paul rolled  _his_ eyes. "And Dawn's right, you know. I understand that you two don't get along-"

"Putting it lightly!" Dawn called.

"But you can't just act like there isn't someone standing next to you in that box. So assuming you guys want to make it somewhere, I would suggest you stop arguing and starting working." She rubbed her head. "Not to mention it would stop all of us from getting headaches," Haley added.

"Hey,  _he's_ the only one who doesn't want to corporate!" Ash accused.

"True, but  _you_ would rather work with anyone else, and that results in you getting unfocused," Haley stated. "So just try and act civil. It won't kill either of you."  _Oh, who am I kidding?_ Haley thought.  _They wouldn't act civil if they were the last two people on the planet._

"Maybe try remembering what Cynthia said," Dawn said.

Paul looked at her. "When every life meets another life, something will be born," he repeated perfectly. Then he turned and walked away, needing space, even from Haley.

"Hey Paul, why did you enter this thing in the first place?" Ash asked.

 _Should I answer that?_ Paul thought. He sighed mentally. "To meet Fire type Pokémon," he answered before walking away.

Ash repeated that, and Brock figured out what he meant. "He used Pikachu's Thunderbolt to power up Elekid's Thunder," he explained, reminding (and in Haley's case, just explaining) them of Ash's first battle with his Sinnoh rival. "This time it's exactly the same. Paul's planning to use his opponent's Fire attacks to juice up Chimchar's."

"Makes sense," Ash stated. "But I sure don't like it."

Haley groaned. "I need water," she said. Piplup, thinking it would help, unleashed a Bubblebeam on the female Trainer's face. She let out a scream in surprise, and when it was all over she moaned in slight pain. "Thanks for…trying," she mumbled before crashing to the floor, causing the trio (and Dawn and Brock's partners) to sweat drop.

A few battles later it was Brock and his partner Holly. The two also demonstrated teamwork, although it was less tactful. Still, they won pretty easily, and to Haley it also seemed that they were bonding on an emotional level, too. She laughed quietly, and then noticed the sudden shift in atmosphere. She looked around and noticed Ash and Paul staring at each other intensely. She sighed.  _Stubborn Tauroses,_ she thought. The two walked onto the field to participate for the last match of the day, as did their opponents Stefano (a researcher, to which Haley flinched; she hadn't had the best track record with researchers) and Dalton (he actually looked very experienced, just like Paul wanted). Ash's choice for the first battle was Pikachu and Paul's was Chimchar. On the opposite side, Stefano sent out Rhydon and Dalton sent out Magmar. "Get ready, Paul," Ash said. "This could be tough."

Paul sighed internally. "With Pikachu, tough is right," he stated.

Ash turned to him. "Chimchar's not such a great match," he shot back.

"Who asked you?" Paul sneered.

In the competitors' box, Conway predicted that Ash and Paul would most likely lose. "Hey!" Haley exclaimed.

Conway chuckled. "I'm just stating the facts, Cutie," he said.

A shiver went down Haley's spine, and Paul saw it out of the corner of his eye.  _Not this again,_ he thought.  _That nerd is just lucky I'm not over there right now._ He then mentally slapped himself.  _Why do I keep thinking about this?_

Back on the sidelines, Dawn cleared her throat. "I believe in Ash just as much as you believe in Paul, Haley," she reasoned. "But Conway is kind of right about the terrible type match ups." She then looked at the battlefield. "And the Trainer's match ups aren't much better."

Haley sighed. "Right..."

Enta announced the beginning of the battle, and Ash was quick to go first. "Let's show that Magmar a thing or two!" he declared. "Quick, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" His trusted partner unleashed the attack, and it flew straight for Magmar, only to at the last second be drawn to Rhydon's horn.

Stefano smirked. "Now Rhydon, use Mega Horn!" he ordered. The Drill Pokémon charged and slammed in to Pikachu, sending him back.

"Don't know Rhydon's special ability, huh?" Paul criticized.

"Ability?" Ash repeated. "You mean...Lightning Rod, right?" He sighed. "Damn it, not again," he said so quietly no one, not even Pikachu or Chimchar, heard him. Or, at least, he thought no one heard him. But Paul picked it up.

 _Did I just hear him...swear?_ he thought.  _No, him? Please. I've got to be hearing things._ "Forget it, you're just in the way," he stated.

"Give me a break!" he shouted, sounding a little more angry than usual.  _What got into him?_ Paul asked himself. "I don't care what you say, I'm in this tag battle too, you know?"  _Oh good, he sounds normal...I don't know if that's better or worse._

"Magmar, use Lava Plume!" Dalton commanded. Suddenly an explosion covered the battlefield, hitting Rhydon as well (not that it mattered because of typing), and was going straight for Pikachu and Chimchar.

"Chimchar, let's go!" Paul ordered.

The chimp looked back. "Right!" he exclaimed and jumped to the smoke and flames.

"Ah, Chimchar, wait!" Pikachu cried.

The opponents were just as concerned for Chimchar's safety, and Ash simply ordered Pikachu to dodge. Now the chimp was by himself, taking in as much fire into his body. His tail of flames became bigger. "Chimchar, Flamethrower!" his Trainer commanded.

Chimchar unleashed the flames right at Rhydon, but even to Chimchar the flame looked weak.  _Oh, come on!_ he shouted. Meanwhile Rhydon just put up his arms and blocked it.  _Oh, double come oh!_ "Hammer Arm, go!" Rhydon put out the Flamethrower and swung his arm at the chimp, sending him flying.

"Oh, triple come on!" Chimchar shouted, and then landed on his feet, Rhydon still coming for him. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" he muttered. Paul, of course, had no idea that Chimchar was criticizing himself, and took him just sitting there as laziness.  _The hell is he doing?_ he thought, grunting.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail now!" Ash suddenly shouted.

Pikachu descended from the sky at a fast rate. "Taaaake this!" he cried as he slammed his tail onto Rhydon's forehead.

Stefano grunted. "Heads up!" he warned his partner. "Though Pikachu may be an Electric type, we've still gotta be careful!"

"Right," Dalton agreed. "Magmar, Protect!"

"Rhydon, Surf! Go!" Magmar put a barrier around itself, and from behind Rhydon began to ride a wave it created and headed straight for the two smaller Pokémon.

The five on the sidelines were impressed. "You can be sure that's got to surprise its opponents in a big way," Conway noted.

"What are you two doing sitting there?" Haley shouted. "Do something!"

Paul had something in mind. "Chimchar," he said. "Flame Wheel, let's go."

"Paul, what are you doing?!" Ash objected. "You're going to make us lose!"

 _No, I can_ do  _this!_ Chimchar encouraged himself. "Please, Chimchar that isn't- ah!" Pikachu was cut off when his partner reeved up. Pikachu turned around. "Ash, do something!" he cried, panicking. "Chimchar's going to faint with a wave that big! Come on, give me an order!"

Ash was thinking, and thinking fast. Then he remembered something. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" he ordered.

 _Why would he..._  Pikachu thought fast too.  _Oh yeah, the Contest! Zoey...Got it!_ Pikachu faced the oncoming wave. "Kay...here goes nothing!" He jumped and spun, using Iron Tail as he did.

"What's Pikachu doing?" Haley asked. "It's like an...Iron Wheel or something?"

"Of course!" Dawn exclaimed. "That's what Zoey did!"

"Zoey?"

"A Coordinator," Brock explained. "She broke through a Water Pulse doing something similar in the Contest yesterday."

Haley nodded in understanding and watched as Pikachu canceled the Surf out and then slammed Rhydon onto the ground with his tail, making the Drill Pokémon faint. "Impressive," she muttered.

"Alright, from now on I'm doing it my way," Ash declared. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

 _Idiot!_ Paul exclaimed.  _Pikachu could be affected by Flame Body!_ "Chimchar, Dig!" The chimp went underground as Pikachu charged.

"Magmar, Fire Punch let's go!" Dalton cried, hoping to still pull off a victory. Magmar's hand became surrounded in flames and it lunged at the oncoming Pikachu. The two attacks collided and were evenly matched. And then Chimchar popped out of the ground.

"Hi there!" he said. Magmar looked down, surprised, and Chimchar jumped up and punched. "And good night!" Magmar flew back, fainted.

"Alright!" the two standing Pokémon cheered, giving a thumbs-up to each other.

Despite their happiness, their friends looked on, a bit conflicted. "Wow, I'm glad they won," Dawn stated. "But it certainly wasn't the greatest example of teamwork I've ever seen."

"Uh, I say that last attack was one," Haley argued.

"It was also kind of a coincidence," Holly said.

"My analysis says it was because of  _separate_ efforts," Conway informed.

"I'll say this," Brock joined in. "It worked  _today_ , but that may be it."

They then all noticed Paul and Ash were staring at each other intensely again. "And here we go again," they all mumbled.

"Look, from now on, stay out of my face," Paul ordered.

"Get off it," Ash scolded. "Face it: we work as a team. That's what tag battle partners do!"

Paul looked away and grunted, and Ash growled. "So, anyone know how we're going to get them off the field?" Dawn asked.

Haley was thinking. "Well," she said, "it's not as if we can make them any angrier. We might actually make them  _agree_ on something."

"Why do I suddenly have a terrible feeling?" Holly muttered.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Brock asked.

"Umbreon?"

"Yeah?" The Moonlight Pokémon looked up.

"Think you can help me out?"

She jumped onto the railing. "I think I see where this is going," Dawn and Conway told themselves. Umbreon made her eyes glow and picked up the two boys.

"What the?" they both questioned before being violently lurched forward and dropped in the competitors' box in a heap.

"Ah, Umbreon, not  _that_  hard!" Haley cried.

"They deserve it," Umbreon mumbled.

Chimchar and Pikachu ran over. "I don't think they deserved it  _that_ much," Chimchar replied. Umbreon raised an eyebrow. "Okay... _maybe_ a little."

"Haley, I swear!" Paul shouted.

"Actually, we're even," Haley stated.

"But where does that leave me?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Who cares?" Paul snapped.

"Aaaaand it didn't work," Umbreon sighed. She picked Paul up with her powers, and after getting over his surprise starting yelling at her. "Come on, Chimchar, we should get going. Haley will follow us."

Chimchar looked up at his angry floating Trainer. "Are...are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Their horns are locked so tight it would be impossible otherwise," Umbreon reasoned.

Pikachu laughed a little. "Well, see you later, Chimchar," he said.

"Uh...oh, right, see ya."

"Haley, get Umbreon to put me down!" Paul demanded. "I can walk just fine!"

His partner smiled. "I don't know, you looked pretty tangled up in your argument," she joked.

Meanwhile, Ash was laughing. Umbreon used Psychic to throw him against the wall, and Paul laughed quietly. His reward was a punch to the gut from Haley, and the three walked off, with Paul in Umbreon's powers, recovering.

Later that day, the four got something to eat. Paul finished about three quarters of it before sighing and looking at Chimchar. "Your Flamethrower needs work," he declared.

Chimchar hung his head. "I know..." he mumbled.

"You do realize he learned it only yesterday," Haley pointed out.

"Dark Pulse-"

"Umbreon's had more experience. And can we stop comparing your Pokémon to mine? Every Pokémon is different, just like every person is different." She sighed. "Oh, who am I kidding? Getting through your thick skull makes becoming a Pokémon Master look like a cake walk."

Paul rolled his eyes. "I listen," he defended, standing up.

"No doubts about that, but do you apply?"

There was silence. "Sometimes," Paul finally replied.

"Change that to never," Umbreon whispered to Chimchar.

"I don't know what you said Umbreon nor do I care," Paul stated. "I still don't forgive you."

"Double staaaandarrrrrd," Haley sang. Paul gave her a slightly confused look. "The honey incident? How could you forget?"

The boy sighed. "Come on, Chimchar, we're working on that Flamethrower," he said.

Chimchar nodded. "Right." He hopped off the table and followed his Trainer out of the Pokémon Center.

"Oh sure, ignore me!" Haley shouted. The boys did so, and Haley and her best friend watched the door to the battlefield close. "Bets on how long before Ash somehow finds him and pisses him off?" the Trainer stated. Her Pokémon shrugged.

It turned out the battlefield just wasn't good enough for Paul, so he moved his training to the woods not far from the stadium. Haley, who had secretly watched him for a while, quietly followed him, but lost him. "Haley!" Said Trainer turned to Dawn, who was running up to her.

"Oh, hey Dawn," Haley greeted as the Coordinator and her Piplup caught up. "Did you need me?"

"I was wondering if you've seen Ash," Dawn stated.

"Not unless you've seen Paul," Haley said. The two Trainers looked at each other, and their Pokémon looked at each other. Then all four of them freaked out. "We've gotta find them before they find each other!" Haley shouted.

Dawn whipped her head nervously. "Um...the stadium! Let's check by the stadium!" she offered. The other three nodded and they took off.

They ran to the stadium, only to find no one there. But they did see someone heading into the woods, and so they followed. "We're not through yet, Chimchar," they heard in the distance.

"That's Paul!" Haley exclaimed.

"Then the person we followed..." Dawn saw him sitting down up ahead.

"Why's Chimchar the only one you put through such intense special training, anyway?" Ash asked as they ran up and stopped.

"Ash," Dawn finished.

"It's none of your business," Paul stated.

"Yes it is!" Ash declared, getting to his feet. "We're a tag team!"

Paul glanced at him. "Your point?"

"I still don't understand why you entered this thing," the younger boy said.

 _That doesn't answer my question,_ Paul thought.  _But might as well answer so this conversation doesn't start going in circles._ "You wouldn't," he replied, an answer that confused Ash. "It's a good chance to get my Pokémon used to some real combat."

"What do you mean?!" Dawn cried.

"Dawn?" Ash questioned.

But the girl ignored him. "Don't you think you're being a little rude to the other Trainers and Pokémon in the tag battle?" she accused.

"He just said they're real competition," Haley reasoned.

"And Haley's here too? When did you guys get here?"

Once again Ash was ignored. "I think that's a pretty decent compliment," the older female continued.

"I didn't say real competition, I said real combat," Paul corrected. "Just because we fight, doesn't mean they're any good." The other three looked at him like he was crazy. "And by the way, I needed Chimchar to be struck by that Surf in our match today. Get it?" Now they looked like he was an alien from another planet.

"Then, what if Chimchar had lost?" Ash asked.

Paul looked down at his Fire type. "Then Chimchar would be useless," he declared.

"What?" Chimchar breathed.

"HA, what did I tell ya?" Elekid proclaimed. He got a glare from Umbreon and a look from Torterra.

"You can't possibly mean that, not after these past few months," Haley stated.

"And tell me when I've said something I don't mean," Paul told her.

"Then how about you answer me this," Dawn said. "Do you treat  _all_ of your Pokémon this way?"

There was silence. "No," Paul finally answered. "This is exactly what Chimchar wants."

Ash and Dawn gasped. "Chimchar, is that true?" Ash asked.

The chimp looked at him. Then he gave a curt nod. "Yes," he replied boldly and without hesitation. Although, on the inside, he thought,  _Though I would like it if we eased up just a little._

"Chimchar, there are other ways to get stronger," Ash explained. "You don't have to do it the hard way, you know."

 _The...hard way?_ Chimchar didn't quite understand how Paul's training was the "hard way". Wasn't how he trained how all Trainers trained? Even Haley would attack her Pokémon with her own. His just seemed more...intense. But the look in the other Trainer's eyes, the sadness and pity that was there, told him maybe he  _had_ been going about this all wrong...had he? He looked to Haley. She always seemed to have the answer. But this time, her eyes kept flickering from sadness to understanding, and it just went back and forth. Umbreon was having the same problem. Suddenly he heard Paul and his teammates walk off. "Come on, Chimchar, don't listen to them," he advised harshly. Haley and Umbreon quickly followed him, looking back just once.

Normally, Chimchar would follow without hesitation. But there were so many thoughts swimming around he just wasn't sure anymore. Finally he gave up. He looked at the other pair. "Sorry guys," he mumbled before following his Trainer, teammates, and Haley.

"Haley, I need your help in training Chimchar," Paul was saying as Chimchar caught up.

She looked at him, then at Chimchar. "Are you...really sure this is a good idea?" she asked.

"Oh don't tell me you're actually listening to  _them_!" he spat.

"I just..." She sighed in defeat, not able to find the words. "Fine, I'll help. Umbreon, you ready?"

The Moonlight Pokémon looked at her younger friend. "It's okay, Umbreon," Chimchar assured. "I'll be fine."

Umbreon kept staring. "...If you say so," she finally answered. She looked up at her Trainer and nodded.

"Good," Paul stated. "Then let's go from where we left off."

They went on for a few minutes, and Chimchar was actually doing pretty okay. But he was also starting to get tired. "It's...okay," he panted. "I...I...can do...this."

"Ursaring, Hammer Arm, go," Paul stated. Ursaring attacked, but Chimchar slipped under his legs. "Leaf Storm."

"Dark Pulse!"

The two veterans unleashed their attacks so fast Chimchar was caught off guard and trapped in the leaves and rings. Paul grunted. "Sky Attack!" Murkrow charged.

"I...can...get out of..."

"Flamethrower!"

"On who...wha- AH!" Chimchar was hit dead on and flung out of the attacks. He skidded on the ground and stopped. "I...c-can..."

"Stand," Paul commanded. Chimchar tried, he really did, but his world was getting blurry, and his muscles felt like they were on fire. He didn't hear Paul's command for Elekid to use Thunder to get him moving, and he wouldn't have even known what hit him if Haley didn't suddenly rush in front of him and take the blow herself. She screamed in pain.

The Pokémon couldn't believe it. "Haley!" they cried. Elekid looked guilty.

"Are you crazy?!" Paul exclaimed. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"We could have killed Chimchar!" Haley cried, standing up, although she looked a little woozy. "Look at him! I don't care if this is what he wants, but I don't just want to watch a Pokémon die!"

"He needs to work through the pain," Paul stated.

"And exactly how is he going to work when his body collapses?!" Haley shouted. "He's on the verge of it right- Chimchar!" Just as she said it, Chimchar slumped to the floor. He was exhausted, his arms and knees no longer holding him up. Haley scooped him up and showed him to Paul. "See!" She cradled him in her arms. "If we don't get help right now, who knows what will happen!"

Paul looked at her pleading eyes, and then at his passed out Pokémon. He looked...fragile, like he would snap in two if not handled correctly. "Fine, let's-"

"Haley, Paul, what's going on?" Ash suddenly exclaimed. He and Dawn ran into the clearing. "We heard shouting and- oh no, Chimchar!"

"Paul, what were you thinking?!" Dawn scolded.

"We don't have time for this!" Haley informed them. She began running. "We have to get to the-" Paul saw it coming, and he ran to her before her legs gave out from under her. "Ugh...my head..."

"What's wrong?" Dawn asked, concerned.

Paul didn't say anything and proceeded to pick Haley up bridal style. "Guys, let's go," he said to his Pokémon and Umbreon. They nodded and trekked back to the Pokémon Center, with Ash, Dawn, and their Pokémon trailing behind. Paul walked into the building, where he met up with Nurse Joy. One look at the scene was all the nurse needed.

"I'll take Chimchar," she said, already reaching for the chimp.

The Trainer nodded as his Pokémon was scooped up and carried off. He sat down at a table and let Haley sit before recalling his team. But before he recalled Elekid, the Electric type jumped onto the table and looked at Haley. She smiled. "I just need rest, Elekid," she said. "Don't look so down." Elekid didn't look convinced at first, but then he nodded, and Paul recalled him. "And maybe some water," she mumbled out.

Luckily for her, Nurse Joy walked back at that moment. "Did you say you need water?" she asked.

Paul looked up. "It would be helpful," he replied. Nurse Joy nodded and walked off once more. He looked at Haley and sighed.

"Don't," Haley said.

"Oh well, sorry I'm concerned because you jumped in front of a Thunder attack," Paul retorted, rolling his eyes.

"And yet you had no problems doing so to Chimchar," she argued.

"At least he's a Pokémon," Paul stated.

"In that condition? Uh uh, Mister," Haley replied. "No Pokémon would be surviving that...well, unless it was a Ground type, and last time I checked, Chimchar isn't." Paul grunted. She had a point, a point she had been drilling since she got hit, and he knew she was right, but he was just too stubborn to admit it.

Nurse Joy came back with a glass of water and an aspirin. "I figured you would need this, too," she told Haley. The girl nodded thanks. "And I just wanted to let you know that your Chimchar is resting." Paul also nodded, and Nurse Joy went to check on the Pokémon that had been brought to her by the other Trainers.

A little later, Brock suddenly joined them, along with his friends, Holly, and Conway. "May we talk?" Brock asked.

Paul looked at him. Out of the three, he did have to admit Brock was the most tolerable and levelheaded. "Alright, though I really don't know what this is about," he replied.

Brock's response was to sit across from Paul, who had closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Dawn had told him it was very rude to not make eye contact while talking, but Haley injected saying he would open his eyes again soon, guarantee. With that, Brock began. "So Chimchar went through some severe training, huh?" It wasn't a question, more like a statement, as if he already knew the answer.

But Paul didn't pick up on that. He opened his eyes (proving Haley's point). "I'm sure  _Ash_ already told you," he spat.

"I treated Chimchar," Brock informed, "so Ash didn't have to tell me a thing." His face grew solemn. "At this point, Chimchar will either get a lot stronger or emotionally scarred for life. Why do you need to push so hard, anyway?" When Paul didn't answer, Brock leaned in. "I'm not asking because I'm Ash's friend, I'm asking because I'm Chimchar's friend."

"Believe it or not," Paul finally said, "we all want the same thing." He paused. "I mean it," he added.

Ash stared at him. "I don't get it," he said.

Paul looked up, obviously beginning to reminisce. "I'll never forget that first day," he muttered. "It had been two days since returning to the Sinnoh region, and I just caught myself a Ninjask. Suddenly I heard Chimchar cry out. He jumped out of a tree and into another, and he was moving quickly. For a moment I thought maybe he was just playing since it's in the specie's nature, but then a pack of Zangoose ran past me and started attacking him. Harshly." He took a small breath. "It might have been a fight for food...or territory, but the Zangoose wouldn't stop attacking." Paul remembered the fearful look in Chimchar's eyes. How could he not? They looked like his whenever he was scared, big and trembling and pleading for help that in that moment he always thought would never come, or begging for whatever he was scared of to go anyway or stop. "I decided to chase after them and see what happened." In truth, the reason he followed was because he knew what kind of trouble Chimchar would be in for if someone wasn't there to watch him. If Paul just left...

He didn't even want to think then, and he didn't want to think now.

"We ran pretty far, and soon we were out of the forest. I was a little farther behind, and when I had caught up, they had cornered him on a cliff with a river at the bottom. Chimchar had nowhere to go, and I was actually ready to jump in and help, but it turns out he didn't need it. He unleashed a Flame Wheel powered up by Blaze, and it was amazing. Chimchar had taken a lot of damage...but what power! I had never seen a Chimchar who had strength and stamina like that. After witnessing that mind-boggling display of force and determination, I  _knew_ I had to have Chimchar for myself."

XXX

_Chimchar was panting, exhausted. "Gone...all gone...please let them be..." He was tired, so tired, and despite the force he had unleashed he knew the Zangoose would be back. This always happened; he would find somewhere to sleep, they would claim it as part of their territory, Chimchar would argue and say where they had said it was the day before, they would gang up on him, no one would help, they would chase him somewhere, and he'd unleash a move powered up by his ability. How stupid to think it would stop, that someone would care, that someone-_

_"Hey," someone piped up. Chimchar looked up. A human. But what was one doing here? No one ventured into this forest, not unless they were lost or stupid or...experienced. That's what this guy looked like. Okay, so then why was he_ here _, with_ him _, when there were better-_

_"Chimchar, look what you did," he said, sounding...impressed? No, that couldn't be right._

_Chimchar looked around, like the Trainer told him, and was surprised, like when he had done this the first time. He hadn't noticed the area was much more burnt than it usually was. "Did...did I_ really  _do all of this?" he asked. Had they really pushed him that far this time?_

 _Suddenly there was a Poké Ball in the boy's hand. Chimchar looked up. "Come with me," the Trainer said. And in his eyes, Chimchar noticed they were filled with understanding. This Trainer...he had been tormented too, he could just tell. And he respected Chimchar's power._ This _, he realized, was what he was waiting for, and what he had dream of but never thought would come true._

_The two stayed in that position for a while, with the Poké Ball stretched out and Chimchar staring at it. And then he smiled. For the first time in a long time he smiled. "Of course!" he cried._

XXX

Paul, of course, had seen it a tad different. All he knew was that one day the Zangoose were attacking him. He hadn't realized he had saved Chimchar from something similar to his own childhood.

He wished, looking back, he knew that detail sooner.

"I knew if I had that kind of Fire power," he continued, "I would win the Pokémon League for sure." He looked downcast. "But ever since that day, we haven't been able to duplicate that power."

Silence fell over as everyone let the information soak in. "I get it," Brock finally stated. "You're trying to recreate the stress of when those Zangoose were attacking by putting Chimchar through such difficult training all the time."

"I need to push Chimchar way beyond the limit!" Paul finished, standing up abruptly and causing Haley to do so as well since they were sitting so close. He walked a little ways away and looked at Chimchar, who was sleeping in the recovery room. "If we could just recapture that power," he stated, sounding desperate and excited, "Chimchar would be the strongest of all my Fire type Pokémon!"

"Hold on, Paul," Ash said, standing up. "You've gotta let Chimchar rest."

Paul looked at him. He looked...kind of sad, and he sounded it too. "If I don't-"

"You have to!" Brock interjected, now on his feet as well. "Chimchar's health depends on it!"

Dawn and her Piplup voiced the exact same opinion, but Paul was about to brush it all off until Nurse Joy piped up, "You have to listen to them!" All eyes were on the nurse as she walked towards them. "The only reason you're pushing your Chimchar so hard is because you're just plain impatient," she scolded. "I'm going to have to insist that you let Chimchar get some rest."

There was no arguing with an official. At least... Paul nodded and began to walk off. Haley followed but soon let out a grunt. "I thought aspirin was suppose to make the pain go away," she complained.

Paul stopped going forward and went to her side. "You have to take it easy," he advised. "Something like that to your system puts you out for a while."

"Something like what?" Ash asked. "What happened?"

"Ash, it's fine, no need for concern," Haley assured. "Though I have to say, you must be made of rubber or something. How do you take Pikachu's Thunderbolts and get back up as if nothing happened?"

The boy processed that. "You hit her with an Electric attack?" he questioned.

Haley realized how big of a mistake saying anything was. "By accident-"

"How could you?!" Ash shouted.

"Please don't yell!" Haley begged, holding her head.

Ash looked guilty. "Sorry," he apologized quietly.

"I don't feel so good," she mumbled.

Paul scooped her up. "You need rest," he said.

"I'm coming with you," Nurse Joy declared. Paul nodded again.

In the partners' room, Nurse Joy helped the girl into her pajamas, got a wet cloth and placed it on her head, and placed a bucket by the bed just in case as Paul helped her into bed. Nurse Joy left, putting Paul in charge, and as soon as the door closed, Haley began hyperventilating. "I'm going to die, I'm going to die," she chanted quietly.

"No you won't," Paul assured. "Trust me. I was hit with 20,000 volts and I'm still here. That Thunder was around 10,000 to 15,000. The only way you'll die is if you keep freaking out, meaning I need you to calm down." She slowed her breathing. "It's just aftershock." She glared. "No pun intended. Just get some rest. Tomorrow everything will be better." He got up. "Everything."

There was double meaning in that, Haley could tell.  _But what?_ she asked before falling asleep.


	12. Shot Through the Heart

Haley groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She definitely felt better than last night, but why did she have to wake up so early? She looked at the clock and raised an eyebrow. "9:15?" she questioned. She got out of bed to check her Pokégear. "No, it's definitely 9:15. But...why does it feel so early?" Then she looked around the room. "Hmm? Paul's not here." She changed into her clothes, thinking about where he could have gone. "Everything...what did he mean..." She gasped. "Oh no." Sloppily tying her hair back, she flew out the door and down the hallway, startling a few Trainers. She finally got to a certain room, and flung that certain door open. "Paul!"

He turned around, standing by Chimchar's bed. Said Pokémon was still lying down but wide awake. "I thought you were still asleep," Paul stated.

"You can't do this!" she cried, ignoring greetings. She stepped inside the room and closed the door. "Nurse Joy said Chimchar still needs to recover!"

"I think he's ready to go," the boy replied.

"You're not the nurse, Paul, you don't know better than her! What if something happens?"

"Look, nothing is going to. I need him today."

"No, not today! Use him tomorrow! What about Elekid, huh? Doesn't he need training, too?"

"Yes, but-"

"Please, Paul, don't do this!"

Paul was about to protest again, but he noticed Haley's eyes, begging just like her voice and gestures. He closed his eyes. "Al-"

"No," came a voice. The Trainers whipped their heads to the bed, noticing Chimchar was standing. He still had a few bruises, but other than that he looked healthy. He shook his head. "No," he repeated. "I'm fine."

Haley walked over to the chimp and bent slightly so she was eye level. "Chimchar, are you absolutely positive about this?" she asked in a motherly tone.

Chimchar didn't say anything. Then, he finally nodded. "Yes," he said calmly.

The female looked into his eyes, as if she was searching his soul. She stood up straight. "You're serious," she stated. "Well, if you want to, there's nothing I can do." She lowered her head. "You win."

Paul put a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing's going to happen," he repeated. "He won't lose."

"I'm not worried about the outcome of the match," Haley replied. "I'm worried about...something else."

"He won't die."

"That's not it, either."

"Then what?"

She didn't answer. "...I don't know."

"You too," Paul stated.  _What is it they're so worried about? If it's not losing and it's not injuries then, what_ is  _it?_ He decided to let it go for now. "Chimchar, you ready?" The chimp nodded, and Paul recalled him. "Let's go."

Haley stood still. Then she nodded. "Right."

The tournament started at ten o'clock sharp, and the battles raged on. Dawn and Conway once again won with ease and incredible teamwork, and Brock and Holly won their battle as well. Now Ash and Paul were up once more as the last battle of the day, fighting Elijah and Ricky. Ash's choice was Turtwig, and once again he was eager to bring his Pokémon out first. The Tiny Leaf Pokémon emerged, ready for battle. And of course, Paul's choice was Chimchar, surprising everyone but Haley. "No!" Dawn cried. "How could you let him?!" she scolded Haley. But then she noticed the older female's downcast look.

"I tried," she admitted, "and Paul would have agreed but...Chimchar was the one to request participating."

"But why?" Brock asked. Haley continued to look down, avoiding all eyes. She bit her lower lip, refusing to answer.

"Chimchar, you need to rest!" Ash proclaimed out on the battlefield.

"He's right, Chimchar!" Pikachu agreed.

The chimp looked at them, smiling. "No way, I've got this!" he exclaimed.

Ash was a little surprised and still concerned, but gave in. "Okay..." he said, sounding unsure, as did Pikachu. "Make sure you protect Chimchar during the battle, Turtwig!" he ordered.

"Got it," his Grass type responded. He turned to his partner. "Don't worry. I have your back."

"Oh, thanks!" Chimchar said happily.

"Metagross, let's go!" Elijah shouted. The Iron Leg Pokémon appeared, but of course that didn't faze the smaller Pokémon. Sure Turtwig had a type disadvantage since his Grass type moves weren't effective, but that's what Chimchar was there for, right?

... _RIGHT?!_

"Zangoose, come forward!" Ricky cried.

The Normal type made itself known, and when it landed on the ground Chimchar looked at it with fear-filled eyes. Zangoose looked at the smaller Pokémon and grinned. "Huh, been a while since I fought a Chimchar," he said.

 _I...I know that voice!_ "Z!" Chimchar exclaimed. The leader of the pack, Chimchar's equivalent to Jason. And because of it Chimchar had given him a name of sorts to help identify him from the others.

Now Z's grin grew even wider and more menacing. "Ah, it  _is_ you, little Chimmy," he stated. "It's been a while."

Hearing Paul's command to get ready to fight, Chimchar went into a fighting position. "You don't scare me any more!" he proclaimed.  _Big words,_ he thought.  _I'm absolutely terrified! But I can't let him or Paul know that!_  "Besides, you're probably much more tame now that you've been caught by a human." He smirked. "I thought you said that would never happen."

"I changed my mind," Z sneered.

"Metagross, use Bullet Punch!" Elijah ordered.

"Damn it, you always go first," the Normal type mumbled.

"Just following orders," his partner replied in a robotic-like voice. It charged, its arms glowing.

Paul smirked. "Chimchar, Flamethrower! Go!"

"X-Scissor!" Suddenly Z jumped over Metagross and was looking down at Chimchar.

"How goes it?" he asked.

"Wha-" Chimchar stopped in his tracks.

"Turtwig, use Razor Leaf!" Ash commanded. But when Turtwig fired, Z just batted them away, and since Chimchar was paying too much attention to the Cat Ferret Pokémon, he didn't notice Metagross until he was hit. He skidded across the ground. Meanwhile Z's X-Scissor hit Turtwig. Chimchar was now on his feet again, and Paul ordered him to use Dig. He jumped into the ground. But Elijah had a counter for this and made his Metagross use Magnet Rise, giving him the temporary ability of Levitate, meaning when Chimchar resurfaced he had completely missed. Metagross moved out of the way when Z came charging with a Crush Claw, which connected and sent Chimchar along the ground again.  _Ugh, note to self: don't taunt Z about getting soft, because it's not true,_ the chimp thought. He got back on his feet, just in time to be tackled to the ground thanks to Turtwig being thrown by Metagross's Psychic. And now Z was coming at Chimchar with another Crush Claw.

And Chimchar couldn't take it.

All the memories of his past flooded through him in that moment of Z flying at him. How he was attacked and taunted by them. And that glare...that glare he was wearing...just like all the other times... _Close your eyes, and everything will go away,_ Chimchar chanted as he did so.

Paul, meanwhile, wasn't pleased. He was starting to see something...something he didn't like. "Turtwig, use Bite!" Ash commanded, snapping him out of his thoughts. Turtwig jumped at Z and latched his jaw onto his opponent's wrist. In response, Elijah called for another Bullet Punch.

"Chimchar, use Flame Wheel on Turtwig," Paul ordered.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed.

The chimp turned and looked at his Trainer, shaking his head. "No, I can't do that," he said. "Please don't make me!"

_Please don't make me! Don't make me hurt it!_

_Well, tough, kid. That's what you get for crossing us._

Paul hated it, hated what Chimchar was making him seeing. "Yes," he said sternly.

Chimchar looked at Turtwig. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. Frustration boiled in him. "I'M SORRY!"

_I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me! I didn't want this!_

The Fire type launched his Flame Wheel, ramming through Turtwig, Z, and all the way to Metagross. Chimchar looked back at the fallen Grass type. He felt guilty. "Why Paul?" he muttered.

_Why...why did you make me?_

_I told you, that's the price you pay._

_But it didn't deserve it!_

_No... But you did._

"Flame Wheel!" Paul ordered.

Chimchar was so focused on his Trainer he hadn't noticed Z charging at him with another Crush Claw. And when he turned around ready to charge he was slammed down and now under Z's merciless paw. "No, no!" Chimchar screamed as he struggled. "Get off of me, get off of me!"

_It hurts! Get off, it hurts!_

Paul could see it more and more, and he prayed that the result wouldn't be what he thought. "Use Flamethrower."

His Pokémon lifted his head, intending to fire, but he was getting... _that_ look. That evil grin, those mocking eyes... "Well, come on," Z taunted hauntingly. "Where's all that trash you were talking a minute ago? Come on, fire."

_Come on, throw a punch. It's not that hard._

"Oh wait."

_I forgot who I was talking to._

Chimchar couldn't take it. He cracked. He covered his eyes, whimpered, and began to tremble. Paul closed his eyes and lowered his head. "Guess that's it," he muttered. Chimchar wasn't strong enough and that was the problem. At least, that's what he told himself was the problem. But he knew that was a very small portion of the problem. For you see, when Paul saw his Pokémon under that claw, he saw it. Saw what he didn't want to see but knew to be true.

His Fire type was just like him.

...No, not entirely.

Chimchar was everything Paul  _wanted_ to be.

The chimp was sweet, kind, friendly, and open despite his fear. He was a hard-worker (not that Paul would ever admit it aloud), and despite constant warnings not to do so he smiled frequently. He was fun loving and happy and warm. Everything Paul wanted to be but had lost so many years ago. He envied Chimchar. He envied a Pokémon. And it made him feel uncomfortable. Not to mention, seeing Chimchar frozen in fear like that, a small part of him felt like...

Like he had failed.

He wasn't the Trainer Chimchar needed...or  _deserved_.

Ash ordered Turtwig to help out with Razor Leaf, and since Z was so absorbed in his victim he didn't noticed the sharp leaves until they hit him, knocking him back and getting him off of Chimchar. Turtwig ran in front of Chimchar, who had uncovered his eyes. "Don't worry, I've got- urk!" The Tiny Leaf Pokémon slumped to the ground.

"Ah, Turtwig!" Chimchar cried. He looked at Z and gasped, seeing that he was firing a Fire Blast. "No!" He jumped over Turtwig and held out his hands, holding the Fire Blast back. His tail of fire grew.  _Perfect!_ He turned his head. "Paul, what next? Give me an order!" But Paul said nothing. He heard the command for another Bullet Punch. "Come on, hurry! What should I do next?" Still he said nothing. Chimchar gulped. "P-Paul?"

Trainer and Pokémon locked eyes. The worry that was in Chimchar's...it was too much for Paul. Chimchar looked too much like him, like he used to be. How he wanted it back. _But it's gone, gone forever,_ he thought. He couldn't take it.

Paul turned to the side and looked away.

He could hear Chimchar's heart break when the chimp gasped, and he almost turned back to give a command. But he just couldn't. He didn't care when Ash took over giving commands, or everyone's surprise to such a predicament. He didn't care that they ended up winning. He heard Chimchar whimper and felt his gaze. And once again he almost turned to look, to say sorry, to explain why. But all he did was hold up Chimchar's Poké Ball and returned him, without a word. He began to walk off, ignoring the outcries of his tag battle partner and aimed to leave the stadium. "Paul, get back here!" Ash commanded as he ran after him. "If you-"

"Ash, stop," Haley intervened, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ash stopped, and so did Paul. He then felt Haley's gaze. "There are no words I can say, I believe, that will persuade you," she began softly, "but please promise me, Paul, that you'll think this through. An hour, at least...please."

Paul didn't answer right away. Then he nodded slowly. "Alright," he answered quietly. He began walking again.

"We'll give you your space," Haley stated. This time Paul didn't respond, but she knew he heard. The six watched as Paul walked off.

"What do you think he'll do?" Holly finally asked after a long moment of silence.

Another wave of silence crashed over them. "...I only wish I knew," Haley whispered.

In the Pokémon Center, Paul studied Chimchar's Poké Ball. He stared at it and began rotating it. When he finally got to the back he raised an eyebrow. There was an "X" scratched onto it. He ran over it with his thumb and then suddenly held the Poké Ball up. "Wait...this is..."

XXX

_"Ow!" a ten-year-old Paul exclaimed. He and Turtwig were traveling to Oreburgh City for their first Gym Battle, and right now they were very close to Hearthome City. He had tripped over a rock on the path, and the Poké Ball he had found on the side of the road fell out of his hand and landed on the ground. "That hurt," the new Trainer mumbled as he sat up. He noticed Turtwig was in front of him with the Poké Ball in his mouth. "Oh, thank you, Turtwig," he said with a smile. He took it back and inspected it. Then he rotated it so he was looking at the back of it. "Aw man, there's a scratch on it!" He showed his starter. "It was all nice and shiny before, but now look at it." Then he pulled it back and looked at it once more. "Or..." He suddenly picked up a stone and began scratching the Poké Ball. "Hmm...no, it's too boring...maybe..." Turtwig watched, confused, as his Trainer continued to work. Finally Paul was done. He dusted off the Poké Ball and showed his Grass type. "Look, Turtwig, pretty cool, huh?" Turtwig looked at the X and tilted his head. "Okay, maybe it's not the coolest thing ever, but what else can you do with a pre-existing line?" He held up the Poké Ball to admire his work and smiled again. "I declare this to be my lucky Poké Ball!"_

XXX

"My lucky Poké Ball, huh?" Paul said aloud. He gripped it tighter. A pain swelled in his chest. In all honesty, he didn't  _want_ to give Chimchar up, but...He grunted. Truthfully, he wanted to cry, and he could feel it coming, too, but instead he flopped his head onto the table, one fist slamming down on it and the other clutching the scratched Poké Ball for dear life.

By the time Paul was done thinking, the sun was starting to set. He stepped outside the Pokémon Center and walked to the stadium, near the forest.  _No one seems to be here,_ he noted.  _I hope it stays that way for a while._  He held out the Poké Ball and opened it. The beam released Chimchar, but it wasn't the normal white. It was blue, and that only meant one thing. Chimchar looked up. "Paul?" he asked.

Paul looked at his Fire type. Looking into his eyes, he wanted to tell him his decision softly and calmly. Of course, things don't always go as planned. "You're out of here," he said harshly.  _Wait, crap, that wasn't how it was supposed to go!_

Chimchar's eyes widened.  _This_ was the bad feeling he had been feeling, and he desperately wanted to change Paul's mind. "No, please wait!" Chimchar cried. "Give me another chance! I promise I won't fail, I promise I won't freeze up again, just please! Don't!"

Seeing his pleading eyes, Paul felt his heart start to crack. He had always wanted a Chimchar, but he really had thought about it.  _Although, I could be wrong,_ he thought as he watched the chimp beg. "Paul!" The cry of his rival stopped him from taking his Fire type back. It just made him angrier that he had been caught. "So that's the end of all that special trainin?"

"Yeah, that's right," he spat.  _I don't want it to be!_ "What's the point?"  _There's plenty!_ He began to walk away. "Obviously I need to get a new Fire type."  _I don't_ want  _another Fire type! But I'm just not...argh!_ He kept walking, ignoring Ash, Dawn, and Brock's comments.

Meanwhile, Chimchar was devastated.  _He...he gave up on me..._ He began to whimper.  _What else did I expect, though? Everyone always did...everyone always will. I'm totally worthless._ He began to walk towards the forest. He didn't know it, not in the slightest. These trees were new, and who knew what enemies he would make in there. He certainly wouldn't be making any friends. Chimchar just knew it.  _Because nothing ever changes._ "Hey Chimchar, come with us!" Ash's optimistic shout rang in his ears.  _What?_ The chimp stopped, and so did Paul.

 _He..._ HE  _wants to take Chimchar?!_ the older Trainer thought. And though he didn't show it (what he was showing was a scowl), he felt guilty and yet...strangely relieved. _Maybe...just maybe..._ "Are you sure?" Dawn asked.

Ash, smiling as big as ever, walked up to Chimchar and knelt down, one hand extended. "Of course, we'll have a blast and work hard!" he declared.

"That's right!" Pikachu agreed.

"You bet!" Turtwig chimed in.

Chimchar turned to Ash, wide-eyed. "R...really?"

The younger Trainer just kept smiling. "Chimchar, come on," he egged on. The chimp listened as Ash complimented him. And yet, he still wasn't sure.

"You both deserve each other!" Paul stated. "You're both pathetic!"  _Or maybe you deserve each other...for a different reason entirely._

Ash, of course, shot Paul down without batting an eye or losing eye contact with the broken hearted chimp in front of him, to which in some respects kept Paul interested. He watched as Chimchar's eyes began to water. He had given him up willing, so why did it still hurt him so bad? He couldn't take it any more and walked off, not seeing that Team Rocket had tried to take him yet again and only noticed when there was an explosion in the sky. "Hmph. They never give up." He resumed walking. "Losers."

He went back to the Pokémon Center to get something to eat, and as he ate, the wave of annoyance that had been with him passed and was replaced with anger, though he didn't know who it was aimed towards. After he was done murdering his food (at least, that's what it looked like to some of the other Trainers), he stormed off to his room and took out his "lucky" Poké Ball with the intent on destroying the thing. But looking at it, he just couldn't bring himself to do so, and that only frustrated him more. He took a deep breath thinking he would let out a cry of frustration, and yet he ended up just breathing out. He shrunk the Poké Ball, took off his bag and put the old Poké Ball inside. He finally looked around the room and noticed Haley wasn't there. _I figured she would be here to chew me out or something,_ he thought. Sighing, he decided to ignore it, take a shower, and then head straight to bed.

The next morning, Paul woke up and checked the clock. 9:05, it read. Plenty of time. He looked over and noticed Haley was in her bed, still sleeping, and from the looks of it she probably wouldn't wake up until sometime after the first match, and maybe into the second depending on how fast the first one would go. He smirked. No way was he leaving that up to chance. Quietly he turned the clock so she couldn't see any of it. Then he got out of bed and lightly shook her. "Mmm...five more...miiiinutes," she mumbled.

"Sure, but it's already 9:55," Paul lied.

That got Haley to sit up. "It's 9:55 already?!" She turned to face him. "And you're not even ready?! Not to mention Dawn's battle starts in-" She then noticed the clock and turned it. She frowned, the look on her face priceless.

"By the way, might want to brush that hair, Luxray," Paul joked.

She glared at him, and for a moment Paul remembered what had happened the day before. He almost expected Haley to scold him right then and there but she just got up and grumbled, "Ass hat," before snatching her backpack and going into the bathroom. He sighed, both out of amusement and relief.

Fifty minutes later the tournament started up once more, and just like the last two days Dawn and Conway completely dominated their opponents. Brock, Holly, Ash, and Paul battled next, and Paul really didn't understand why he used Torterra instead of Elekid. But he did. And he swept. Yeah, that's right,  _he_. It was amazing how little Ash actually contributed to the battle, and, being who he was, still had the nerve to compliment his Staravia. Paul, of course, snapped at him for such actions, and Ash and his Pokémon (now including Chimchar) glared at him. Paul's gaze, however, was only focused on the chimp, and as such Chimchar faltered and looked away nervously.  _Aw, damn it, I didn't mean to scare him. Idiot._

There was break before the final round, which meant the battle started at two in the afternoon. Paul sighed at such a long wait but decided to get lunch and have Torterra healed (not that much healing needed to be done but hey, it's always nice to have full health). Just as luck would have it, though, he ran into Ash. Fortunately their staring contest was very short and allowed Paul to be on his way. Strangely, Haley really wasn't by his side much. "Exploring," he guessed. "Same old song and dance with her, after all."

The clock struck two and the four Trainers were out on the battlefield. Ash, wanting to rub it in Paul's face (or at least, that's how Paul saw it), sent out Chimchar, saying he was the only one Ash would want to use in this battle. For Paul, finally doing what he had promised himself he would do, he sent out Elekid. "Well, well, look at that," Elekid scoffed.

Chimchar flinched. "Uh...Ash..." he said with worry, turning to his new Trainer.

"Don't worry, you're working with me now!" Ash reassured.

"Right!" Chimchar exclaimed.

"Heh, just don't go screwing this up," his former teammate sneered.

"I could say the same for you," Chimchar hissed back. He had never really liked Elekid, always too arrogant and nasty. The only ones he never took shots at were Torterra and Umbreon (although sometimes he did so to the latter) since they were both veterans and knew what they were doing.

To say that Elekid was a little taken back by the retort was an understatement. "Whoa, hello confidence," he said as Buizel and Heracross appeared. "Hey, look out for the big, scary Water type."

"Please, a Buizel is nothing compared to a Golduck," Chimchar stated.

The battle began, and it was actually evenly matched. Just like all the other matches Dawn and Conway were synced while Ash and Paul were combining separate efforts. For a while the latter duo faltered, especially when Heracross's Megahorn collided with Elekid's Thunder Punch. They were equally strong, but Elekid was a little worse off since he had been weakened a bit before hand. "Ugh, damn that overgrown bug," he muttered.

"Hey, uh, Elekid, you alright?" Chimchar asked.

"Oh shut up," Elekid snapped. Suddenly he began glowing. Power rushed through his veins and he started to grow. The little Electric type had evolved into Electabuzz, and he was pretty proud of it. "Now that's more like it!" he boasted.

"Great, now he's got a bigger ego  _and_ he's taller than me," Chimchar muttered under his breath.

"And now this tournament isn't an entire waste in Paul's eyes," Haley told herself on the sidelines.

"Well, he was here to train anyway," Brock pointed out.

"I know that."

The battle ended soon after, with a Flamethrower/Thunder combo that Buizel and Heracross tried to recover from but ultimately fainted from.

Winners of that year's Tag Battle Competition: Ash and Paul.

Ash celebrated like he always did, cheering and jumping for joy. Paul just...acted like Paul and returned Electabuzz. A few minutes later both boys were on the stage with Enta, who congratulated their win and gave them their Soothe Bells. Of course, as Brock stated, Paul's ultimate prize was evolving Electabuzz. Conway was slightly ticked and yet a little amused that the team who demonstrated the least amount of actual teamwork was the one to come out on top. Haley stood at the tunnel that connected the walkways of the stadium to the competitors' box and clapped along with everyone else. Paul opened one of his eyes and noticed her just standing there with a smile on her face.  _I...don't get it,_ he thought.  _She hasn't said a thing about Chimchar all day. Granted most of my day was taken up by battles, but I was convinced she would pull me aside during the first battle._ He closed his eye again and just listened to what he considered was empty praise.

Later, in the food corner of the Pokémon Center, the trio of friends were sitting at one of the tables, admiring the Soothe Bell Ash won and praising him for his hard work. Paul walked by, and when Dawn said his name he stopped. He reached into his pocket and threw his Soothe Bell.

The intended target: Ash Ketchum.

The actual target: Haley Sedai.

She almost seemed to appear out of nowhere and snatched the Soothe Bell before it reached Ash. Letting it slip until she was holding it by the end of the string, she looked at Paul with a straight, unreadable face. "Hmm?" Paul grunted, raising an eyebrow. But Haley didn't answer and walked towards the Pokémon Center battlefield.

"What was that for?!" Ash exclaimed, getting out of his seat, though whether it was about the Soothe Bell, Haley, or both was a mystery to Paul. So instead of trying to figure out which one Ash was talking about and risk sounding like an idiot, he walked off to go to the Poké Mart to buy some supplies.

An hour later he returned to the Pokémon Center. It was getting close to sunset, but Paul figured the two of them could make some distance before setting up camp. He walked to the room and opened the door. "Haley, let's...hmm?" Once again, the girl was mysteriously absent. But this time, so was her backpack. With an eyebrow raised, he closed the door and walked up to the front desk. "Nurse Joy, did you happen to see Haley anywhere?" he asked.

"That girl with the red bandana you were with?" Nurse Joy confirmed. Paul nodded. "She left about 10 minutes ago."

 _Did she want to get a head start? She could have just told me a place to meet._ "Thank you," he said and walked out. He made his way towards Route 209, and saw her standing there, as if she were waiting for him. But her back was turned, and he couldn't help but wonder why.

"Glad you decided to show up," she said, still not turning.

Paul smirked. "I was getting supplies. Figured I'd do it for once."

"Good. You'll need it."

"So will you," he said, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"No, I have supplies, I'm fine. Besides, I'm sure you like your space, right?"

Now the confusion grew to his face. "I don't understand."

Her fists tightened (the left one a little looser), and her body began to tremble slightly. "God, why is it that when you need to be dense, you aren't, and when you don't need to be dense, you're even worse than Ash?" she criticized. She turned her head, and Paul swore he was looking into an inferno and yet it was chilling him to the bone. He took a small step back. "Paul, you're on your own."

...What?

"You can't be...where did this even come from?"

"Are you  _fucking_ kidding me?!" Haley cried, whipping her whole body around. "Where did this come from, are you  _actually_ serious right now? Well, Paul, since you're so confused, how about I tell you. It started with a little incident yesterday, when you abandoned Chimchar!"

Paul glared. "You didn't speak up about it before," he retorted. "In fact, if I recall, you were the one who stopped everyone else from trying to stop me."

"Because I figured you couldn't take it anymore!" she exclaimed. "I figured you were sick and tired of waking up to look into the mirror every day!"

 _How did she-_ "I released him because he was too weak!"

"Oh, bullshit, that's only an excuse, and a lame ass one, too!" Haley barked. "But even then, I was going to let it slide. In truth, I was probably being too generous with that consideration but I guess I'm too stupid and stubborn to quit. But we would have gone on, this whole thing blowing over, until the  _second_ incident. And do you want to know what that one is, Paul, or do I have to spell this one out, too?"

"Please, Haley, because I don't remember doing anything else wrong!"

Haley growled and dug through the front pocket of her backpack to pull out a familiar-looking bell. " _This_ , Paul. Maybe it'll jog your memory?"

"So? I have no use for it."

"I... _you_...do you have  _any_ idea what this bell means?"

"It raises the power of Return, so what?" Paul asked, annoyed.

"That's the Trainer response, and that's not what I'm looking for!"

"Then what the hell  _are_ you looking for?!"

"This represents friendship!" Haley shouted.

"Your point?" Haley's face dropped to shock and horror, and then quickly went back to angry. Scratch that, furious. Scratch that,  _LIVID_. Tears started rolling out of her eyes, and Paul dropped his annoyed face and replaced it with concern. "Haley, what..." He moved forward.

"Don't touch me," Haley hissed. Paul stopped. "I can't believe this... I did nice things for you, reached out to you and gave you a shoulder to lean on, I made you smile and laugh, and  _this_ is the thanks I get?! A slap in the face?! So if I wasn't your friend Paul then what was I? A pawn?"

"You're my partner-"

"I thought we dropped that! Actions speak louder than words, and your actions made me think we had passed that point! But clearly-" She choked on her words. "Clearly I was wrong! God, I look like an idiot!"

"You're not an idiot-"

"Don't even  _try_ and comfort me, because for all I know, those words are empty and meaningless! Actually, I know they are!" Haley brought the Soothe Bell into her right fist and held it tight. "I defended you, told them that you weren't the cold, heartless person they all thought. But I guess- I guess they were right, and I just turned a blind eye. Well not any more! I'm done,  _through_! You don't want friends, Paul,  _FINE_! I'll give you the peace you so desperately wanted!" There was a deadly silence, and then Haley broke it when she stepped back. There was a hitch in her breathing before she said, "I hope it's worth it." She turned and walked off.

Paul, meanwhile, was frozen in place, stunned beyond word. He watched her go, knowing he could easily and effortlessly catch up to her and stop her and make a case for himself. But his feet wouldn't move, no matter how desperately he wanted them to. The best thing that had happened to him in years was walking away, and he did nothing to stop it.

And then, she was gone.

Paul was on his own.

He stood there, frozen in the street until the sun sank behind him and the streetlights turned on, just staring down Route 209. Suddenly he felt a rage beginning to bubble deep inside him.

Hearthome City was quite the place for Paul.

He had tripped on the route just before it and gained a memento.

He had gotten the call from his brother inviting him to go see his big fight in Kanto.

He had spent some time in that café and had his favorite dessert.

He had evolved his Elekid into an Electabuzz.

He had won the Hearthome Tag Battle Competition.

He had lost the first place prize.

He had no badge.

He had lost his best Fire type.

He had lost the closest person he ever had to a friend.

The rage from those last three just made his anger spill over. He let out a shout. A shout that made the tourist give him questionable looks and the locals give him angry glares. A shout that made children call him weird and the adults shake their heads.

At the top of his lungs, Paul shouted, " _I HATE HEARTHOME CITY!_ "


	13. Broken

**A/N: Okay, as evil as it makes me sound, I had a lot of fun writing the next three chapters. And I know it's kind of sudden for me to go into first person view, but I couldn't envision it any other way. Most chapters won't be, but some in the future may go back to this style. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 To say I was crazy would be the understatement of the year.

Nuts.

Psycho.

Bat-shit insane...yeah, sounds about right.

For two whole weeks I was absolutely angry at the world. Why? Was it at Haley? But what had she done? Nothing but say the truth. And that's probably why I was so angry, most likely at myself. At least, that's what the logical part of my mind came up with.

I should probably say that in those two weeks, the logical part of my mind was mostly forced to sit on the sidelines and watch the madness.

The first to feel my wrath were my Pokémon. God were they scared, and looking back I can't blame them. I was barking out orders and scolding them even worse than before. Now to some that may just seem like a normal thing for me and would shrug this off as a usual-Paul thing, but when Torterra starts flinching at my voice, I like to think I've pushed it too far. And man was he flinching. The logical part of my mind was screaming at me to stop being the colossal asshole that I had become, but the rest of it just wouldn't listen.

Apparently my Pokémon weren't enough. Soon I started attacking trees with my anger. Luckily that stopped after three days or so, since my knuckles went from just being bruised to bloody and my feet barely held me up, and when I entered a Pokémon Center along Route 209 Nurse Joy had a fit. Taking her lecture to heart was the most influence the logical part had in those two weeks.

Target number three: other Trainers. They would come up to me, looking for a battle, and I would accept, and only once did I come close to losing one Pokémon. I crushed everyone else, and ended up making them run to the nearest Pokémon Center crying. No,  _sobbing._ Most of these Trainers were much younger than me, too. I think one girl was at most nine. And here I was, insulting them like Jason would insult me.

Great, just great. I had turned into my worst enemy. Way to go, me.

Things just got worse when I finally reached Veilstone City. Home. Not that there were many pleasant memories for me here. I walked the streets, going towards the Pokémon Center, and I felt the stares of the locals. My brother and I are sort of celebrities here, not to mention that gossip spreads through here like wildfire.

Never expected that from a big city such as ours, did you?

"Hey!" I heard someone shout. Bridget. Self-proclaimed friend of mine, obsessive fan girl, and a 100% annoyance. I continued to walk as I heard her catch up with me. I ignored her greeting. "I heard you came back from the Hoenn region," she said. "I'm sorry you lost the Conference." I continued to ignore her. "But you must have gotten stronger! I heard you're traveling through Sinnoh now!" Still ignoring. "I also heard you won the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition! Congratulations!"

Hearing the name of that competition reminded me of Haley. And every time I thought of her I became angry. Luckily for a split second the logical part of my mind took hold. "If you would leave me alone, I would appreciate it," I finally said. I sounded like an asshole, but at least I wasn't insulting her.

"Well that's no way to treat a friend you haven't seen in years!" she replied, huffing and I knew she was pouting. But she was wrong. We weren't friends. What did she know about me? Nothing, that's what. And even if she did know something about me, she doesn't care. None of these people give a damn about me. "Fine, I'll leave. See you later!" And she ran off.

Peace and quiet. And this time no tears. We're going in the right direction.

Of course, after sleeping the night away and waking up the next morning for my Gym Battle, I went in the opposite direction by maybe 50 miles or so.

I stood in front of the Gym/Dojo and entered without hesitation. I was expecting the old man known as Theodore. What I got was a teenage girl who looked only one year older than me at most.

"Oh, hello!" she greeted. I noted the slight nervousness in her voice. "Are you a challenger?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Maylene, are you sure you're up for this?" one of the attendants asked. "This is your first challenge as a Gym Leader, and Reggie's younger brother is very strong."

The logical part of my mind was going crazy, screaming,  _Leave, leave,_ LEAVE! _In your current state you'll flatten her, crush her, and toss her aside, and then do something you'll absolutely regret!_  As the case had been for the last two weeks, I promptly ignored the screaming. "Rafael, I'll be fine," the young Gym Leader reassured.  _Oh no you won't!_ that ignored part of my mind shouted. "I've been training for six months. I can do this." She turned to me. "So shall we?"

 _No!_ "Yes."  _GOD DAMN IT, YOU IDIOT!_

She led me to the battlefield. The referee was there and the rules were stated. Then the trip to hell began. Maylene brought out Meditite and I released Honchkrow. I guess I could have used the Gliscor I caught on the way to Veilstone, but it didn't know any Flying type moves. I ordered a Sky Attack, to which Maylene countered with Detect. It dodged flawlessly, but I simply ordered the attack again. Since the protection had worked once before, it wasn't going to work again, and Meditite was knocked out.  _In one shot._  "Ah, Meditite!" Maylene screamed. She recalled the fainted Pokémon and brought out another Poké Ball. "That's okay, we're just getting started! We won't lose so easily!"

How I wish that were the case.

Next was Machoke. It charged, intent on using Brick Break, but another well-placed Sky Attack cancelled those plans, as well as any plans of Machoke continuing to fight, because it too fainted. It was fair to say that part of my mind was flipping out. Maylene was not in sync with her Pokémon and I was still in my colossal asshole state. Things weren't going to be pretty. "Eep!" the Gym Leader squeaked. She recalled Machoke and brought out her Lucario, her final Pokémon. I switched Honchkrow for Magmar, who was there to replace Chimchar.

...Would you believe me if, now looking back, I regret letting him go?

"Bone Rush!" Maylene ordered, obviously flustered. And it reflected in how Lucario began to swing the bone. Magmar dodged the shaky swings with ease, and then I ordered Fire Punch. It probably would have taken two hits, if Maylene's increasing bad luck hadn't continued to pile. Yep, Lucario was infected by burn, and that made it faint. The look of horror on Maylene's face was soul crushing.

If I wasn't in the state I was in.

She gulped and shakily recalled her fallen Pokémon. "W-well, congratulations," she said nervously and quietly. "H-here's your Cobble Badge." She handed me the orange badge that looked like a small cobblestone tile.

I took the small metal badge and looked at it. Then I smirked.  _Oh no, nonono, don't you dare!_ I dared. " _You're the weakest,_ " I told her in the most haunting voice I had ever heard. Was this even me? It was as if some had possessed my body. I wanted it to stop, but I just kept talking. " _The weakest leader I ever fought, and this lightweight Badge is just like you._ " Then I turned and left. I'm pretty sure I heard her heart break on the way out the door.

 _What the actual fuck?!_ my mind shouted.

"I meant every word." Oh God, I was arguing with myself. This couldn't lead to anything good.

 _No, no you didn't!_ I cried.  _That wasn't a fair fight! She was a newbie Gym Leader!_

"So was Flannery."

 _You were her fourth or fifth challenger, not her first! And even then, that is absolutely no excuse for being a complete asshole to a Gym Leader! A_ Gym Leader!  _They are authority figures, no matter their age!_

"Will you shut up already?" I mumbled.

_Not until you turn around and apologize!_

"Why should I? Like I said-"

_Bullshit to you meaning every word!_

"You know what- urk, okay, headache. Ow..." Great, I knew this would happen. This wasn't the first time I had argued with myself, and every time I ended up with a headache, and then tomorrow I would probably wake up with a fever. I didn't want to go to the Pokémon Center, but there was no way I was facing Reggie in this state. And knowing I would most likely fall sick, I couldn't sleep outside. So I went for the red-roofed building.

"Ah Paul, how was...oh God, you don't look so good," Nurse Joy noted.

"Headache," I reported.

"Should I call Reggie?"

"Don't even think about it," I warned before retreated to the room I had used earlier that day. Curtains closed? Check. Lights off? Check. Air on? Check. Me under the covers and not to emerge until morning? Positively check.

Just as predicted, I was out of commission the next morning. God, why did this always happen? I only got up once, and that was to rush to the bathroom. Jeez, it was even worse this time. The nausea left, and then I somehow managed to crawl back to the bed. Nurse Joy came in about noon with food. I guess knowing the Nurse Joy personally had perks, since she knew what happened when I got headaches. I was sure she would contact Reggie, but he never appeared, not once. Odd. Nurse Joy brought more food around five in the afternoon, and then after eating I feel asleep again.

The next day, I was still not in a condition to be traveling. I was at least better enough to go into the lobby and get my own food. The stares from the locals didn't go unnoticed. Word of my battle must have spread, but as much as I wanted to yell, I didn't want to make thing worse, both in the gossip department and my physical health. To avoid everyone, I grabbed my food and retreated to my room once more.

* * *

  **(A/N: This is where the anime is a little different. The night Team Galactic attacks, Paul is apparently in another Pokémon Center, most likely going to Pastoria City, not to mention Paul is the one who calls Reggie. However, that kind of wouldn't work for the story, which is why things are a tad different. Reggie also has no idea Paul is still in the city at this point, and Paul doesn't get Electabuzz via the call. You'll see why.)**

* * *

 Day three. Good, this stupid fever...cold...thing was almost gone. I was just one day from leaving the city and acting as if none of this had ever happened. I would get away without any consequences. "Paul, you have a call from Reggie," Nurse Joy told me when I went to go get dinner.

He was calling me? Why didn't he just come to the Pokémon Center and talk to me face-to-face? Unless he thought I had left the city. But instead of voicing my confusion, I nodded and went to the videophone. "Hey Paul- whoa, you don't look that good," my older brother stated. Electabuzz was beside him. That reminded my next battle was going to be at Pastoria. I would need to get him soon.

"Captain Obvious has docked," I replied, rolling my eyes. "It's just a passing cold. Anyway, why did you call?"  _Probably to scold you! You deserve it!_

"Just wanted to see how things were going," he told me with a smile. I was confused. Was he avoiding the issue or had the word actually not spread like I had thought? Had I just been paranoid? "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Your old friend, Ash, has been here." He has? Since when? How had I not noticed? Oh...right. Being cooped up in your room will cause you to miss a few things. Funny thing, I would find out the next day from some people talking that he had been in the dining hall as my brother and I had this conversation. But I thought back to Reggie's comment. An old friend. Yeah, friends...what a laugh. "You know, the Trainer with the Pikachu that uses Volt Tackle that you told me about?" As if I could forget. Just because I was sick didn't mean I had lapses in memory. "Interesting guy. I like him."

I closed my eyes and turned my head a little. "Well I suppose you would," I scoffed.

He probably still had that smile on his face. "Guess what, he earned the Cobble Badge today," he informed.

I froze on the inside. Was this some sort of hint? And...oh no, here comes another potshot at her. "So what? Anyone can win at the Veilstone Gym," I stated, annoyed. I opened my eyes slightly. The slight look of displeasure on his face told me all: he knew. And he probably would have said something if all hell didn't break loose. "Anyway, could you send-" Suddenly communication went down. In fact, everything went down, even the lights. They didn't go without flickering, though, giving me another small headache. Yep, back to bed. I entered my room to see blue lights shining through the curtains. That only gave me more of a headache, so I didn't give a damn about the meteors that were currently being stolen.

Afternoon. Probably around 1:00 pm or so. I sat up and rubbed the sleep away. Finally 100% again. Now I just had to leave, get to the next Pokémon Center, and contact Reggie there to get Electabuzz so I wouldn't get an earful. I grabbed my bag and, after grabbing a quick late lunch, exited the Pokémon Center. Walking through the streets, there was talk about one of the meteors being gone and how Maylene had helped out. When people saw me, the topic was suddenly all about the young Gym Leader. Something about how that Coordinator helped gain her confidence back and Ash winning via tie and I was mentioned at some point. It was getting on my nerves. I had trained myself to ignore such things, but this stupid mental state...

It was making me do stupid things.

"Will you all just shut the hell up?!" I suddenly shouted. The street grew quiet, and I stormed off. I realized that, for whatever reason, I had been heading west towards Route 215. I should have been heading southeast, towards Route 214. I rounded the corner and ended up on another street, now heading east. And that's when I stopped in my tracks.

There was Reggie, a basket of produce under his arm. He had a straight face on; he had probably heard my outburst. But it wasn't just his look and what I knew it meant that made my heart race. A few feet behind him was Jason and his gang.

The logical part of my mind finally took its proper place at the helm. And the first thing it did was scream,  _Oh God, oh man, oh geez, oh crap!_

Next thing it did? Make me run across the street, going through traffic like a dumbass.

I bolted down the alleyways that I knew like the back of my hand, leaving behind the angry honks of the cars that had to screech to a halt. I was not calm, and if I was going to continue on, I needed a way to calm down.

And there was one place where that could happen: home.

Right now it was looking like my beacon of hope and my deathbed all in one.

Still, that was my only option, so I continued to fly down alleys and run across streets, dodging more cars in the process. I finally made it to the wide stretch of grass. Home wasn't far now. Since I was running towards the back of the house, I had to cross the river, and had it been later in the year it would have been too big to jump, making me alter my course and head for the bridge which would waste time I needed to run. But it wasn't that time of year, so I could clear it with ease. Not long after that our house appeared.

The Pokémon Reggie was taking care of (including some of my own) were there, and they saw me running. Those like Electabuzz had no idea why I was running in a state of panic, but other like Staraptor knew the routine all too well. They rounded the confused Pokémon out of the way of the back down as I flung it open and jumped inside. I slammed it closed behind me and ran for my room. I slammed that door closed, too, and locked it before scrambling into bed, trembling under the covers like a small child.

I was curled up there, and the past two weeks finally caught up with me. Guilt rained on me like 20-ton bricks, and I whimpered. What had I done? Reggie was going to be so mad with me and I had no excuse. Well...I did, but it didn't make up for all the terrible things I had done and said. No amount of sorries could fix any of it. Yeah, despite what you may think (and I have done many things to make you think otherwise), I'm not heartless. Authority figures are always treated with respect and insults get no worse than the "How pathetic" I had given Ash after his battle with Roark. But these past two weeks...no, I realized...it was ever since I had met Cyrus in Mt. Coronet that I had started falling into this complete heartless being. I sighed. Slightly calmer, but still not quite there. What felt like hours but were probably only minutes had passed when I was at least calm enough to emerge from the covers and look around my room.

Nothing had changed in the past five years. Reggie had left everything the way it was, probably only coming in here to clean. So that must mean the radio was still by my bed. I turned. Sure enough, there it was. I reached for it. Music always helps me calm down. Bet you didn't know that.

Of course, when I turned it on, what should be playing but  _Breaking the Habit_ by Linkin Park.

Damn it, I love their songs, but why must they come on at the most inconvenient times?

Sure, I could have turned off the radio, but I needed to calm down, so I just flopped onto my back and began to sing along (more like mumble; I didn't have the energy to sing any louder) to the song that was being so eerily correct.

_Memories consume_

_Like opening the wound_

_I'm picking me apart again_

_You all assume_

_I'm safe here in my room_

_Unless I try to start again_

_I don't want to be the one_

_The battles always choose_

_'Cause inside I realize_

_That I'm the one confused_

_I don't know what's worth fighting for_

_Or why I have to scream_

_I don't know why I instigate_

_And say what I don't mean_

_I don't know how I got this way_

_I know it's not alright_

_So I'm breaking the habit_

_I'm breaking the habit tonight_

_Clutching my cure_

_I tightly lock the door_

_I try to catch my breath again_

_I hurt much more_

_Than anytime before_

_I had no options left again_

_I don't want to be the one_

_The battles always choose_

_'Cause inside I realize_

_That I'm the one confused_

Suddenly I heard the front door open. The first thing that came to mind was the Nightmare Gang. No please, not now. Footsteps, coming towards my door. I gulped but kept mumbling. Then I heard keys.

Reggie.

"I know music helps, but this song?" he asked as he opened the door. Was that suppose to be some sort joke, an attempt to make me feel better? I answered by turning my head away from him. The only sound was the music, now going to this college band. Echosmith, I think. Finally, Reggie spoke up. "A bit calmer?"

No, not really. But I nodded anyway. He stood at the doorway, then walked in and turned off the radio. He motioned to the living room. I didn't move. "They won't bother us," he said. Well, guess I had no choice. I got out of bed and went into the living room. I sat on the couch, staring at the table like it was the most interesting thing in the world. My staring contest was interrupted when suddenly there was a glass of milky black tea in front of me. Damn it, he knew me too well. It even had a straw. Shit, was it that bad? We had to regress to when I was eight years old? He sat next to me. I didn't touch the drink as we sat in silence. "Mind telling me what this is all about?" he finally asked.

Well, here we were, the moment I had to explain everything. Chimchar, Maylene, my outburst, the way I had treated my Pokémon and everyone around me, Haley...

Haley.

Just thinking of her made me think back to that conversation, the Soothe Bell I had thrown away held tightly in her hand. And her twisted, heartbroken face as she shouted, _I'm done,_ through _! You don't want friends, Paul,_ FINE _! I'll give you the peace you so desperately wanted! I hope it's worth it._ Those were her last words before she walked off. Time had slowed for me in that moment, and it was painful. It still is.

She had been the only one to defend me that wasn't Reggie, and like an idiot I had pushed her away. I began to feel them. Tears were forming. I wanted them to stop. I wasn't a child anymore, damn it! Go away, please just go! Leave! Don't...

Don't go...

Please...

I need you.

Suddenly my head collapsed into Reggie's lap, and they burst out. I cried.

No, that's wrong.

I bawled.

...

What could I do but just sit there and rub his back as my little brother cried in a way I hadn't heard in years? When Paul called me on his journeys during Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, his face had this stone-cold expression. Those four boys (and truthfully I played a part too) had such an impact on him that as soon as he left, he began transforming from the fragile yet somewhat sweet (although he did have a slight cruel streak to those he deemed annoying, like that one girl...Bridget, I think) boy to someone who could be very callous if he wanted to. But now, looking at him, I couldn't believe he had ever transformed in the first place.

Something had shaken him to the core and had ripped him open.

I recalled three days before Paul's battle with Maylene. She had jogged to my house and stopped to say hi. "Out for morning exercise?" I had asked.

"Yeah!" she had replied, pumped. She had said she felt like a challenger was going to come soon, and she couldn't wait.

"Just don't get too excited so that you can't focus!" I had laughed.

I shouldn't have.

The day of Paul's battle, Maylene ran up to me again, crying her eyes out. "What happened?"

"I-I-I-I had a-a-a-a Gym B-b-b-battle!" she had cried, tears streaming down her face. "B-b-b-but it w-w-w-went all wrong!"

I had dealt with this before with my own brother, so I knew exactly what I had to do. First thing was to calm her down. I remembered Theodore, her grandfather, had once told me she loved noodles, so I led her inside and made her some. She ate slower than I had heard, probably thanks to her current state. "Tell me what happened."

Paul had, apparently.

But he wasn't himself. He would never do such a thing. Well, mostly. Beat someone in a battle, and badly? Okay, that wasn't new. Call a Gym Leader weak and lightweight? Not in a million years. Something was wrong. Still, I decided to let the situation go for a while. I figured he would go back and apologize on his own.

But the next day came, and an apology had not been delivered. I would have called him right there, ready to yell, something I rarely did, but Dawn helped out by talking with the Gym Leader and then battling her, so I let it go again.

After Ash's Gym Battle, I decided to call my brother up. I certainly did not expect him to look sick when he answered. Now I knew why he hadn't apologized: he had one of the mental battles again, and when that happens, his body shuts down. I didn't realize he was still in the city, though. When you call someone without knowing for sure where they are, you're just patched to them via operator and they don't tell you where the call goes to for some stupid reason. If I had known I would have gone over to the Pokémon Center, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him to Maylene, sick or not.

Ash and his friends left the day after the Team Galactic incident, and I went into the city to buy some food. "Hello, Isaac," I greeted the fruit stand owner.

"And hello to you, Reggie," he replied with a smile. But it dropped as I picked out my produce. "Did you hear about that brother of yours?"

Despite how big Veilstone City is, everyone know almost everything about everyone, especially when it comes to Paul and I. It's the price of being the best Breeder in the city, as well as Paul and his encounters with those four boys. "Yeah, I plan to call him up later and set him straight," I told him. "Thankfully, Maylene has her confidence back thanks to this group of kids that came into the city-"

"You mean the boy that helped to try and save the meteor last night?"

See what I mean? "That's him, and his friends." I added that last part because, in all honesty, it wasn't just Ash.

"That's good," Isaac commented, though I wasn't sure if he meant my plans to scold my brother, Maylene's returned confidence, or that someone tried to save the meteor. Deciding that figuring out which one he was talking about wasn't important, I nodded and paid, and then turned west to keep walking.

"Will you all just shut the hell up?!" I suddenly heard someone shout from the street up.

I sighed. Paul. He was causing a scene again, and with all of this talk about him already, this wasn't helping any. I saw him storm around the corner and then stop. Our eyes met. I saw them growing with fear. Even at my meanest I didn't scare him that much. Unless...

My suspicious were confirmed when he suddenly bolted across the street, once again playing a real-life version of Frogger. I watched him disappear down an alleyway. He was heading home, like he used to. Knowing he would probably be fine and that he needed to calm down before I did anything, I turned. I had something to deal with before I walked back to the outskirts where home and my brother waited. Those four boys had already begun to walk away. I knew their destination.

Like hell I was going to let them even try.

"Now where do you four think you're going?" I asked as I approached them behind. They turned, meeting my icy glare. I rarely ever used it, since I was too much of a nice guy, probably to a fault. Meanwhile, Paul used it almost every time I called him yet I know he probably hadn't wanted to start that habit.

We are two very messed up brothers.

"Oh, hi Reggie," Jason greeted, as if they weren't walking off to cause my brother more grief. "We were just-"

"Just what?" I was pretty sure I was burning holes in them now. "It better not be to where I think you're going."

"We were-"

"If my Pokémon so much as catch a  _whiff_ of you," I threatened, "it won't end well for any of you." I was reminded of an incident six years ago, and clearly, so was Jason, who was rubbing his stomach. Staraptor had charged at him with Brave Bird. Hey, you might say overkill and totally not cool to do to an eleven-year-old kid, but he had punched Paul in the face twice and then followed him home with a  _metal_ baseball bat. What would  _you_ do?

With that warning in their heads, I walked past them and headed for home. My back was to them, and they probably would have attacked me if it didn't mean they would get in trouble for doing so. It was dumb. Touching my brother is fine to these people, but even one finger on me, and the city is up in arms. What did Paul do to deserve such non-sympathy?

I took my time getting home so my brother had enough of his own time to calm down. I crossed the bridge that went over the river and wondered if Paul had fallen in it in his haste. I shook my head. He hadn't done it before, why should I believe he would now? I continued home and was greeted by Staraptor and a worried-looking Electabuzz.

"Star-Star," my Pokémon chirped.

"He came home?" I asked.

"Star," Staraptor said again, nodding.

"How long ago?" Then I remembered I was talking to Pokémon.

Bless the person in the world who can understand their language, if such a person exists.

Electabuzz had a stick, and it drew something in the ground. How I envied them.  _We_ couldn't understand  _them_ , but they knew how to draw "20". "20 minutes ago?" The Electric type nodded.

I hadn't realized I had taken so long. Still, that definitely should have given him enough time. I opened the door. I mentally slapped myself. I had forgotten to lock it again, and probably the back door as well. Then, I imagined if I  _had_  locked the house. I had done that once, and I had found Paul in the fetal position next to the front door. That was something he didn't need right now.

I walked in and put my basket on the table, then got the keys off of the counter that separated the dining room from the kitchen. Paul probably locked his room from the inside. He always did. Besides, it would help him identify that it was me, not the gang. The walk to his door was strange but not new: I was calm, but the atmosphere was a swirl of sadness, fear, worry, and...guilt and angst? That was new. He must have been worse off than I thought. As I fumbled with the keys, I heard  _Breaking the Habit_ on the radio.

You know, exactly what Paul needs right now. Something depressing.

At least he was singing...well, it was more like mumbling, but it was something that was distracting him. He's actually pretty good singer, but he rarely does that anymore.

"I know music helps, but this song?" I asked as I opened the door, finding his shoes and bag scattered on the floor with my brother under his covers. The question hadn't meant to sound like a joke, more like one of those "Really? Now?" moments, but the look on his face made me realize he had registered it as a joke. We sat in silence as _Bright_ by Echosmith came on. There we go, a much happier song. Still, I needed to coax him out into the living room. I needed to sit next to him, and he never  _ever_ let me sit on his bed next to him. Even when he was younger, he hated how much he acted like a child, yet he allowed me to treat him like such.  _Except_ sitting next to him on his bed. I figured now would be no different.

"A bit calmer?" He slightly hesitated with his nod. Nope, definitely not, no matter how much he says so. I sighed internally. Here I was, suppose to be mad at him, but now I couldn't find the will to be so. I turned off his radio and motioned for him to get up and go to the couch. He didn't move. Clearly he was afraid of the gang eavesdropping on us like they use to sometimes do. But Staraptor was out there. That wouldn't be happening this time.

"They won't bother us." Now he moved, reassured but still not calm. I sighed internally again, and then proceeded to lock the back door. I followed him and saw that he was already sitting on the couch, staring at the coffee table intensely. Definitely not calm. Drastic times call for drastic measures. I hadn't done this since he was eight, grabbing a tall glass and filling it with milky black tea and then putting a straw in it. I set it in front of him. He snapped out of his staring, and the look in his eyes told me he wasn't pleased with himself, being degraded to an eight-year-old again. I sat down next to him, silence taking up the space until I asked, "Mind telling me what this is all about?"

I expected yelling, anger, snapping, a cold glare, something of the modern-Paul variety. So it comes at no surprise at how I was slightly shocked to see his eyes begin to water and his face scrunching to make them go away. I knew what was coming next.

My little brother broke, shattered, and collapsed into my lap, bawling his eyes out.

...

How long had I been in that position? Hours? Days? Weeks? Obviously not, more like a few minutes, but that's what it felt like to me. And after what seemed like an eternity, I finally had no more tears to give. With me there sniffling, I finally noticed Reggie was rubbing my back. Noting I was done, he continued for a few more seconds before sitting me up. I let out a hiccup. He got up and came back with a glass of water. I chugged it down, as if I hadn't had water in days. Then I slammed it down on the table. Like I was some drunk in a bar. Great. I noticed the tea and finally reached for it, taking a small sip. Now we were here, me marveling at how the liquid went up like I had never seen such a thing before. I took the straw out of my mouth and sighed.

"Better?" Reggie asked, who was sitting by me again.

"...You are such an unbelievable asshole," I said, pointing to the straw. Yeah,  _those_ were my first words. World's greatest brother, everyone.

Reggie, however, didn't seem to mind. In fact, he responded by suddenly pulling me close and ruffling my hair. "Love you too, little bro," he chuckled.

We are the weirdest brothers in the world, hands down.

I noted the time. It was about 4:15. How long had I been wondering, going the wrong way? "Actually, can you make dinner before I begin?" I asked. "It's...kind of a long story, and I need to figure out how to explain all of this."

Reggie was looking at me, as if he was thinking I was trying to get out of this. But then he smiled. "Beef stew?"

My eyes lit up against my will. He was seriously asking for it. And yet, I was starting to not care. "Muuuusssshroooooms," I said like I was a zombie.

He laughed and got up, heading for the kitchen. I flipped on the TV. Whatever channel Reggie had been watching last, right now it was showing  _Ultra Maximum._ It was one of those actions movies starring Brad Van Darn. I swear that guy is in every action movie, be it total crap or something decent. This one was just...okay. The tagline they had used was cheesy, kind of like the movie. I didn't complain since I didn't feel like changing the channel. At least it wasn't  _Pokémon in Love._ Bridget had unfortunately dragged me to that when she had suddenly appeared (and I do mean suddenly; it was like she appeared out of thin air) in the Kanto region, and I swore I would kill Cleavon Spchpielbunk for that. He might be "one of the greatest director of all time", but not that time.

"This movie never gets old," Reggie said, appearing behind me.

I looked at him. "As in it's a classic or you never get tired of making fun of it?" I asked.

"Both!" he laughed.

Soon dinner was ready. Time was up, but I was ready. "It was two weeks after I got back to Sinnoh," I began.

"How does something that happened that long ago have anything to do with now?" Reggie asked.

"Because I met someone," I answered. "Someone who had a big influence on me." He probably expected Ash. "It was funny how we met. I was sitting on a bench at the Pokémon Center, waiting for my Pokémon to be healed, and I was shaking the bench on accident with my foot tapping. Then she-"

"Oh, so it's a girl," he said slyly.

"Shut up," I retorted, a little peeved. Then I realized something. He was teasing me. When I was younger, he was never able to do that. I was too fragile; one wrong word and I would probably break. Now I was less likely to do so, meaning Reggie could start acting like a brother. That explained the sudden action on the couch as well. We could finally be...normal.

Well, as normal as a mentally unstable boy (at least...I  _think_  I'm mentally unstable) living with his brother/practically father who were runaways from one of the most successful businesses in the world could get.

"Anyway, she called me out on it, and at first we argued," I continued. "Then we started having a conversation, and she told me she was a three-time Elite Four Runner Champion." Reggie was impressed. "You might have heard of her. Haley Sedai. Her uncle is a Breeder. Ted Stewart."

"Oh, her!" Reggie exclaimed happily. "I remember her. Really sweet girl, if I recall."

That stung slightly, but I continued. "We had a battle, and then six days later we saw each other again. After that we started traveling together."

My older brother was even more impressed. "I'm really proud of you," he stated with a big smile.

I nodded, and then I began to explain everything. Our battles with Roark, the Jubilife TV incident, the honey and Team Galactic, Diablo City, Eterna Forest, Eterna City, the...interesting trip to Mt. Coronet, and anything else I could think of.

Then I frowned. "Then we entered. We...we saw Cyrus." Reggie narrowed his eyes in understanding. He didn't like Dad's business partner, either, especially since he could probably guess that I had been threatened like that time three years ago. "Everything just started to crumble. We met Cynthia, and I challenged her. I lost, badly, and I got really mad at Chimchar, though I shouldn't have. Haley calmed me down, and we both thought I was fine after that, but then...the Hearthome Tag Battle Competition." I sighed and ate some of my stew.

Reggie waited as long as he needed to. "I noticed Chimchar was with Ash," he said.

"I gave him up," I said sadly. "I..."

Should I tell Reggie the reason I gave him up was because I saw him as a better version of myself? I pushed that thought away and answered with the reason everyone (minus a certain someone) figured was the real reason.

"I figured he wasn't strong enough. Haley wasn't too pleased. And then I just made things worse. Ash and I were actually partners, and we won. The prize was a Soothe Bell, and I threw it away. Haley caught it and kept it for herself. I had walked off, and an hour later I noticed her stuff wasn't in the room, so I went to find her." I immediately went for my tea and took a sip. This was painful, very painful. "She was mad. Really mad. She told me off, and then she showed me the Soothe Bell. She..." I groaned and ruffled my hair.

"She figured your gesture meant you didn't want to be friends," Reggie finished, probably guessing. It was like someone was stabbing my heart. Why did everyone realize this analogy but me, the one person who, at that moment, needed to know?

"Good God, Reggie, how could she  _not_  see it that way?" I asked. "And every time I talked I just made things worse. The next thing I knew, she was walking away, and instead of going after her like I should have, I just stood there. The only other person in this world who understands me, and she was gone, just like that." I felt another breakdown coming, so I tried controlling it by taking deep breathes and eating a little. "And then it was a two week journey through hell. Reggie, I...I yelled at my Pokémon like a heartless bastard and insulted so many Trainers. Losing her...I know it's no excuse for my actions, but it's the only thing I can think of that made me act like that. And then Maylene...oh God, Reggie, I didn't mean a word. That fight wasn't fair. I was her first challenger, she was nervous, she heard I was a strong opponent...and yet...and yet..."

"I knew it," he said, interrupting my mindless ramble. "You were sick because you had a mental war again." He ate a little. "And I think since it has been a few days, you need to apologize."

"Apologize?!" I repeated as if he were crazy. I had shot up out of my chair as well, and I think I heard Staraptor and Electabuzz jump. "What the hell am I suppose to say?! 'Hey Maylene I'm sorry for calling you totally worthless, let's be friends, kay thanks bye!'? No way! I'm surprised she recovered so fast! She probably doesn't even want to see me ever again!"

Reggie just looked at me. "You done?" he said. I opened my mouth, but he kept talking. "At the very least try, Paul. Yes, she may not 100% forgive you. But the gesture would be nice."

I sat down and sighed. He was right. "Okay, I'll go tomorrow," I told him. "Then I'm taking Electabuzz. We're challenging the Pastoria Gym next."

"Guess it is Electabuzz's turn," he agreed. "And one last thing."

What else was there? "What?"

"Go get her."

If we were having just any old conversation, I would have asked who he meant when he said "her". But I had been talking about "her" for the past few minutes. "How?" I asked, a twang of sadness and desperation in my voice. "Maylene might be able to look past everything, but there is  _no way_ Haley is."

"Just try-"

"Trying isn't going to work with her!" I argued. "You're right to say she's a sweet girl, but that's not all she is."

My brother rested an arm on the table. "So what else is she?" he inquired.

"She's a no-nonsense type of person!" I explained. "I'm surprised she stuck with me as long as she did! Then there are times where she's a total goof, and then when she trains and battles, she's like a drill sergeant! In fact, sometimes even  _out_ of battle she's like that! There's no way I can just apologize and expect even the slightest of forgiveness!" I sighed.

"And yet?" Reggie egged on.

"I need her," I admitted softly. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: she's the one person besides you who gets me, who's willing to defend me. She's also the only person who doesn't think I'm cruel. And she's like my conscience. A voice of reason. Something to keep me in reality. And... I should have said this out loud...but she was starting to feel like...like a friend."

"Hmm," was his response. "What did it feel like when she was around?"

Where was he going with that? And how did he expect me to answer? It's not like I really thought about that. He must have expected that, because he didn't say a word as I thought of an answer. "Like nothing in the world could go wrong," I finally said. "Funny. A lot of things did. She wasn't suppose to meet those four or Cyrus, and I wouldn't have even touched that mansion with a 50-foot pole or let her know I was afraid to go in it. But when she was there, it was either as if none of them were there, like they didn't matter, or she would calm me down, and she knew how to do it so perfectly." As I said that, I thought about that massage, and I began to feel it, too. I think a ghost of a smile appeared on my face.

Seeing my smile, my brother seemed to relax a bit. "All the more reason to try, right?" Reggie stated. I looked at him, and after a while I nodded. He smiled. "Good. I was hoping for a more confident answer, but you work with the cards you're dealt. Come on, let's clean up, and then you are going to bed."

He just had to treat me like a child one last time, didn't he? "This is the last time you get to pull that shit," I stated.

Reggie laughed. "Aw, is my wittle browther embarrassed?" he teased.

"Shut up," I retorted once more.

Though I have to admit, it's nice to have milky black tea again.


	14. Redemption

The next morning, I woke up, confused as hell. Why was I in my room? Wasn't I on a journey? Then I woke up at little more. Right, I was going to apologize to Maylene today, and then head off to Pastoria City. Hopefully I would meet up with Haley in the mean time. I got out of bed and changed into my usual outfit.

...I always have found it weird why I never seem to wear anything different.

"Morning," Reggie greeted as I entered the room. He had breakfast all ready for me. Fine, I'll admit, being at home has perks. "You ready for today?"

Déjà vu. The meal and his question were exactly what he had done five years ago when I left for my first try around Sinnoh and Reggie was going back to Kanto for the Battle Frontier. "Yeah," I replied as I ate. "I'm not bringing my Pokémon along. I don't want to seem threatening in any way."

"Do you want me to get a team ready for you so you can leave right after?" he asked.

Let's see, my team... "Torterra, Electabuzz, Ursaring, Honchkrow, Gliscor, and...Weavile," I instructed. There was a pause before I added, "Please."

"That's better," he said with a smile. "Don't worry about clean up, I'll get it for you, but just this once."

"Thanks," I said before getting up and walking out the door.

I have only been nervous to enter a Gym three times. The first time was my first Gym Battle in Cerulean City against Violet (long story, maybe another time). The second time was when I went to get the future told to me by Luna. Now, standing in front of the Veilstone Gym, was my third. And it was by far the worst of the three. The fear of Maylene not letting me say even one word kept me from moving for a very long time. I took a few deep breaths, and slowly opened the door.

I wish I could say the atmosphere was inviting, but it really wasn't. The Black Belts that were Maylene's attendants were giving me death glares, and I knew all of them could snap me like a twig if they so desired. However, Maylene herself wasn't there. That wasn't helping my anxiety. "I'm looking for Maylene," I informed them.

Rafael, the man who had warned her, walked up to me. He just seems to tower over me, and in all honesty I wanted to shirk into the shadows. "And why would that be?" he asked.

The panic in me was starting to build, but I didn't want to sound desperate. "To apologize," I replied as stable as I could.

"I doubt that!" one of the others accused. Don't flinch, don't gulp, don't squeak... "You're probably here to insult her more! How dare-"

"Colby, stop," a calm, female voice rang over his accusations.

Maylene.

The room fell silent, and Rafael stepped away from me as the Gym Leader walked up to me. I hadn't noticed, but she's about an inch smaller than me, maybe even less. Might be because I was wearing shoes. We just stared at each other for a very long time before I did what I thought I would never do:

I got on my knees.

"Maylene, please hear me out," I began calmly, though the whole "calm" thing was proving to be a difficult task. "I have no excuse for my actions. At least, not a very good one. I was angry, and I took it out on you. I know no amount of words and apologies can ever get rid of the insult I said the other day, but I am going to try. I am so very sorry for what I said. I meant none of it." I hung my head. "Whether you choose to forgive or hate me, that's not for me to decide. I've done everything I think I could have, but if there is something else I can do to make it up to you, I will."

She said nothing, and I couldn't see her face since I was too busy looking at the floor in shame. "...Stand up, please," she finally said. I did, and was surprised to be met with a smile on her face. "I've heard a lot about you from Reggie," she began. "I knew you wouldn't say such things without reason, although I would be lying if I said your words didn't sting." She took a breath that was surprisingly even. At least for me it was surprising. "Truth be told, I was too hasty. I should have prepared another day and I was too overconfident in myself. I failed you as a Gym Leader. So on your proposal of doing something for me," she looked very determined now, "when I have had more experience, I will call you, and you will come and fight me again! Then we will have a proper battle!"

I blinked. "Then...should I give-"

"Keep the badge," Maylene interrupted. "It will be a reminder, for both of us, that we still have a battle to fight!"

I bowed my head. "Thank you," I said. Then  _she_ bowed  _her_ head.

"Thank you as well," she responded. "For apologizing. And showing me that I have much to learn."

Much to learn. I've heard something similar to that before, and it didn't bring pleasant memories. But I wasn't about to let those ruin what I considered a very lucky break. I raised my head, and she raised hers.

"I suppose I will see you, then," I told her. She nodded, smiling. I turned and exited the Gym, heading for home. When I got to the bridge (which was halfway between the Gym and home), my legs gave out, so now I was leaning on the stone for support. "Holy shit," I breathed. "Holy shit! I-I did it!"

If my legs were actually working and if I had the nature to do so, I would probably be jumping up and down. All I did though was have this giant grin on my face. To think it would have gone that way... I never even dreamed of that going so well. I was proud of myself. Now would this mean I would never be an asshole ever again? Most likely not. But hey, it was a small step in the right direction. Once my legs finally recovered, I continued walking towards home, feeling more confident than ever before. I even felt like I could get Haley back. She would probably hate me a little, but ultimately...yes, I believed I could do it.

"Hey Polly, what are you so happy about?" Jason's voice rang in my ears.

Oh great, just what I need.

My grin dropped. They were standing in the road, as if they were waiting for me. Did they serious have that much free time on their hands? As I asked myself that question, I realized how pathetic that made them seem. Sure, they had done some horrible shit, but they  _went out of their way_ to do so. And so I did what I had promised myself I would do a long time ago: I ignored them, walked past them, and kept going.

The slight flinch I heard caused my grin to return, but it started out small. "H-hey, where are you going?" Away from you. Oh man, today was a good day. "H-heard you insulted Maylene the other day. Looks like we taught you well." A day too late for that. That smile grew a bit more. The increased shuffling and the harsh whispers told me they were getting frustrated. Paul, you glorious bastard, how do you do it- "Where's that friend of yours?" Aw shit. My feet stopped without me really wanting them to. They caught up with me, small sly smiles on their faces. "So, you going to tell us?"

My eyes darted from one to the other, and then closed. "Actually, that's none of your business," I said in the same way I give that sentence to Ash.

Jason's eye twitched. "Smart ass, huh?" He reached for me, probably my tongue again, but I simply ducked and then walked on again. He grumbled. "Maybe the only reason she traveled with you was so she could feel stronger compared to such a wimp!" he shouted.

I stopped again, more abruptly this time. I turned my head, unamused. "What," I began, "did you just say?"

"That you're a wimp-"

"I didn't mean me," I snapped. I had heard just about everything from these guys. One more of that wasn't going to kill me, especially since that was weak compared to some of the other ones. "Now, I'll ask again.  _What did you just say_?"

The gang seemed shaken, but they didn't back down. "Well, it's just so obvious," Jason stated. "She must be really weak, and she decided to travel with someone even weaker to make herself feel all big and strong. She just caught us off guard, right guys?"

I didn't hear the others' reply. Haley...weak? If she were weak, she wouldn't have walked away like she had. In fact, she would still be by my side, not saying a damn thing about how horrible I was being. Thinking about how wrong Jason was made my blood boil. And maybe a bit too much. Because the next thing I knew, I had spun around and punched the older boy in the right cheek. Time stopped as all of realized what I had just done. My fist slowly moved away from his face.

"Yo Boss, you okay?" Braxton asked.

Physically, most likely. But Jason was seething. "You'll pay for that, punk," he threatened.

 _Here lies Paul,_ my gravestone will say.  _The last thing he did was idiotically punch Jason in the face._

…

Traveling with Ash's group is so much fun. It's like we don't have a care in the world. Well, except for those Team Rocket guys, but we always take them out easy after getting past whatever stupid plan they had that day. I mean, the day before this incident, we helped a magician out and then got to see her performance. It was awesome!

And yet, I couldn't but think of the journey Paul and Haley were having. Yeah his training was tough, but the fact that he was so serious all the time made those wacky moments just seem even more wacky. And he  _was_ the first person to reach out to me. In some respects, I wouldn't be here with Ash if he didn't find me. And Haley was there to be the kind Trainer, the one who looked out for me and the other Pokémon. In a way, I missed them. But the way Paul had treated me sometimes...at the end of the day, who cared what they were doing?

At the time, I had no idea Haley was gone.

Suddenly I had a bad feeling. Like, really bad. We Pokémon just have a sense for these things. I turned my head. It was coming from the north. Veilstone City. But the city was too far; if I made Ash turn around, we would probably walk there, and by then...but I couldn't run there, that would take too long as well...then I had an idea.

"Staravia!" I cried, running to the Normal-Flying type.

He was resting while Ash and Dawn were training Gligar and Buneary again. He lifted his head. "Chimchar, is something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm not really sure," I admitted, "but I just have this really bad feeling that something is going on back in Veilstone City!"

"Is it those Team Galactic guys again?" Pikachu asked as he ran up to us. He must have seen my distress.

"No," I said. "Something more...personal. But! I feel like, if I don't go, something irreversible will happen! I have to go back!"

"We all can," Pikachu reassured. "We can convince Ash to go and-"

"No!" I shouted. "By the time we get there, I think it'll be gone! I would run back myself, but we're too far! Staravia, you  _have_ to fly me there!" Finally! I had wanted to get that out forever! "Please, please Staravia, I beg you!"

My teammate stood up. "No need to beg, Chimchar, I'm your friend," he said.

"Do you want me to go as well?" Pikachu asked.

I shook my head. "Please make sure no one follows us," I requested. Since Pikachu was the leader (even though he was no where near being the biggest), everyone would listen to him. Even Ash seemed to listen to what Pikachu had to say (although I really wouldn't call it  _listening_ ).

Our leader nodded. "Good luck," he said.

"Thanks, Pikachu!" I exclaimed as I hopped onto Staravia's back. "You too, Staravia!"

The bird nodded. "Hold on tight!" He opened his wings and took off into the sky. I could hear everyone's confusion.

"Chimchar, Staravia, where are you going?" I heard our Trainer call.

Staravia slowed down a tad. "Just keep going, please!" I begged. He needed nothing more and picked the pace up again.

Meanwhile, on the ground, I heard Pikachu fulfilling my request. "They'll be fine. Just let them go." I turned my head slightly. No one had moved. They must have all understood, even Ash and the other two. I smiled, and then turned my head forward, determined. Whatever was happening, I was going to do everything in my power to make it stop.

In no time, we were over the outskirts of Veilstone City. I began scanning the ground. "I thought you said it was in Veilstone City," Staravia said.

"I didn't mean just the 'city' city," I answered, still looking. "For all we know, it's- hey, what's that?" Staravia looked to where I was pointing. It looked like some sort of fight.

"I'll go in a little lower," my teammate stated. He swooped down a bit, and we immediately recognized one of the faces. "Hey, isn't that Paul?"

It was. And those four boys as well. My eyes were wide. "Staravia, let me off!" I exclaimed.

"Why?" he asked, a little annoyed, but I knew it was directed at my former Trainer. "He's getting what he deserves."

Not even Paul deserved what I was seeing. "You don't understand!" I shouted in a panic. "I don't think they're looking to just hurt him!"

"It's just a pointless human scuffle," Staravia reasoned.

"They're very, very mean people, Staravia! Paul told Haley they've whipped and knifed him before! This can't be just some scuffle!"

We watched the fight a little longer. "Then..." Staravia gulped. He was staring to get the grasp of the situation, but he looked like he didn't want to say it. I didn't blame him, and still don't. "Then what do you think they'll do to him?"

I gulped, too, and I was shaking. "I-it looks like..." I choked on the words for a second before I saw a hard kick to Paul's ribs and blurted out, "They're going to kill him!"

...

 _They're going to kill me,_ was the thought that came to mind with that last kick to the ribs. Strangely, I still didn't have any broken bones, but I was pretty sure I was bruised. I got on my knees, one arm around my stomach, and then I began to chuckle. Yeah, it's official, I was going crazy. Now I was on one knee, but still holding my stomach. "Heh, that all you got?" What part of me thought my death wasn't already painful or quick enough?!

"So you grew yourself a backbone?" Jason asked in a low voice. "Fine then. Allow me to break it."

I stood up, not even close to wanting to back down. But at the same time, I saw that time drawing near. My Pokémon were at home, and no one was coming down the road. I was all alone, so I was going to have to fight alone. Suddenly, as they took a few steps towards me, a Flame Wheel kept us all apart. And who should be revealed as the flames died down but...

"Chim... Chimchar?" I couldn't believe it. Where did he come from, and why was he here?

My former Pokémon turned to the gang, anger in his eyes. Well, my questions really weren't important. What was important was that he had come from the sky (literally) to help, and now I had an ally. "Oh, so you have company?" Jason chuckled. "Doesn't really matter, I'll crush you all the same." He charged for me.

Now, let me put this into perspective. I am 5 feet and 7 inches. I have a little muscle on me thanks to my travels. Meanwhile Jason is 6 feet even. He has a lot of muscle since he lifts weights. So anything he does to me, I can try and do to him except nothing much would happen because I'm much weaker.

Funny how there's this one place where any man can make another crumble.

Oh yeah, I went there. With a swift kick.

"Honestly, I can't believe I haven't done that before," I said with a smirk. The three boys watched as their leader fell to the dirt. He laid there, hands over his now hurting private area. "Would have saved me so much hell."

They clearly did not find this as amazing as I did. "You're going to pay!" Chase shouted. Chimchar wouldn't have any of that. He had dug into the ground, and we had been too distracted by my attack to even notice. So to say Chimchar digging right under his feet and pushing him up and back caught him off guard was putting it lightly. With Chase on his back and out of the way at the moment, Chimchar went for Zach. Funny, he barely knew any of them, but he was going after the ones that would have proved to be a challenge for me. While Chimchar took care of Monkey Boy, I was left with Braxton. We were the same height, but he hadn't climbed mountains and trekked through rocky caves like I had. I smirked even bigger.

"This sound be easy," I said.

Braxton wasn't amused. "How can you say that, when every other time you've been such a coward?" he retorted.

"Time changes people," I answered and then punched him in the gut. He gasped, like I had a few minutes ago. "At least, for everyone except all of you!" A punch to his right shoulder. "You guys never know when the joke stops being funny, when the pain starts being too much to bare!" I kicked his left thigh.

"Don't act like you're some sort of saint, Paul!" he scolded through clenched teeth.

"I never said I was. To think I even stooped to your level...it makes me sick. I've had my share of abuse, just as all of you have."

"H-how did-"

"And I've taken it out on others. I've done and said things to others I wish I could take back. But you want to know what the difference between you and I is? You continue to abuse rather than try and make things better. I at least admit to my mistakes." I grabbed his shoulder and pushed him aside. He stumbled. "To say I've acted and tried to fix them...that would be a lie. But like I said, time changes people. I've made recent mistakes, one that can't be fixed though I wish it could, one I have sorted out, and the other... I will do everything in my power to make it right."

I watched as the three boys were corralled around their fallen leader. Chimchar looked like he was going to attack again, and no longer being his Trainer, I really had no right in ordering him. But I did anyway.

"Chimchar, back down," I said. "We've done enough. If they don't get the message, that's their own fault." Surprisingly (though I didn't show it), Chimchar obeyed without hesitation. "Now, I suggest you leave, unless you want more wounds to attend to." They looked like they wanted to argue, but they didn't. They just grabbed Jason (which proved to be slightly difficult) and were on their way. I watched them go, and when not even a speck was on the horizon, I sat down, the pain finally catching up with me.

"Man, that's smarts," I mumbled. Then I looked at Chimchar. "What are you even doing here?" I asked.

Chimchar looked at me. Then he pointed right at me. "Chim," he responded.

I pointed at myself as well, surprised beyond belief. Then I did something I don't think I've ever done to him unless you count smirking: I smiled. "Thanks," I said. I stood up. "But I would think you might believe I deserved all of that."

My former Pokémon jumped in front of me, chattering away and swinging his arms in a cutting motion. It was as if he was trying to say, "No one deserves  _that_ , not even you!"

I looked at him in wonder. Then I scanned the area. "Where's Ash?"

He shook his head. "Chim-Chimchar."

"You...came by yourself?"

"Chim." He pointed up, and I followed. Staravia was flying in circles, probably waiting for us to finish. Then how... Oh yeah. I remembered Haley had once said Pokémon had a sense for things like this. Wonder where everyone else was then? Guess it really didn't matter. Now it was Chimchar's turn to scan. "Chim-Chim?" He was looking for Haley, I could tell.

I was silent before I said, "I chased her off, Chimchar." I expected chatter in anger, but it was as if he was waiting for me to explain. "Remember when I threw the Soothe Bell, and she caught it? She didn't take kindly to that."

"Chim?" He tilted his head. Finally! Someone else who didn't understand the analogy!

"The Soothe Bell represents friendship," I stated. "She took my actions as saying I didn't want to be friends with her."

Chimchar was chattering again, shaking his head. I figured he was probably saying something along the lines of, "I don't believe that!"

"I made a mistake, Chimchar," I admitted sadly. "Sometimes actions speak louder than words, and it wasn't like I had said anything to object to her accusations." I sighed. "But I did think of us that way, not that I can do anything about it now." Suddenly Chimchar jumped, grabbing my shoulders. His face was in mine, and I stumbled back in surprise. "Ch-Chimchar, what-"

"Chim-Chimchar!" He pointed towards Route 214 with determination. He was saying exactly what Reggie had: "Go get her".

I blinked, and then let off a small smile. "Hmph. Fine, I hear you. Now, I think it's time for you to go." He chattered again, looking a little sad. "Chimchar, I'm not your Trainer anymore. You seem much happier with him, anyway." My former Pokémon still looked a little sad. Apparently, in some way, he had liked his former training style. But I knew ultimately, that wasn't what he wanted. He hopped of me, probably realizing the same thing.

Before he could call Staravia down, I spoke up. "I want you to promise me something." He turned to me. "Become stronger. I wanted that Blaze so bad, give it back to me. Say, 'You wanted it so bad?! Well, take it!'" I looked down at him (physically speaking; I can't help it if I'm 4 feet and 3 inches taller than him). "And if you can't use Blaze, beat me anyway. Make me regret the day I gave you up."

Chimchar looked at me, beyond confused that I would say something like that. But it was quickly replaced with a challenging smile and a nod. "Chim," he said. Then he turned his head to the sky. "Chim-char!" he called to Staravia. The Starling Pokémon flew down, and Chimchar hopped onto its back. They both looked at me. Staravia looked like it wanted to peck my eyes out, but then it gave a nod. I nodded back, and then it took off towards Route 214.

Shit.

Ash was ahead of me.

...

"What did he say to you?" Staravia asked as we flew away.

I didn't answer. Then I smiled in determination. "When we get back, I'm begging for a training session!" I proclaimed.

Staravia was probably about to say, "That doesn't answer my question", but apparently, he found it unimportant. Either that or he understood. Soon we were flying over our group.

"Heeeey!" I called out. Everyone looked up.

"Hi!" most of them called back. Except Croagunk. I can never read that guy.

"Chimchar!" my Trainer exclaimed happily. I jumped off of Staravia and into his arms. He laughed. "Did you finish whatever you needed to do?" he asked.

I nodded, a big smile on my face. I felt proud of myself, and happy that Paul wasn't dead on the road, waiting for someone to discover him. That thought made me shiver just a tiny bit, but it went unnoticed by Ash. Then I pushed myself out of his arms and faced him. "Train me!" I exclaimed.

He didn't understand what I had said, but my determination must have been showing. "So you want to train, huh?" he asked with equal determination.

I can't blame humans for having to repeat what we say, so instead of getting annoyed, I nodded again. We ran off, with Pikachu running beside me. "So what happened? What was it?" he asked.

"I'll tell you later," I replied. "It's a long story."

As we began training, I couldn't help but think what Paul's brother would say if he saw him with all of those bruises, especially on his face.

...

"Holy shit, Paul, what the hell?!" Reggie exclaimed as I walked in the door. When he swears, you know he's surprised.

I chuckled. I must have looked worse than I thought. "Just a little scuffle," I said.

"Little he says," he mumbled as I grabbed my belt and bag. "Mind giving me just a little more to go off of?" I quickly told him, and when I was done, he blinked. I don't know if his surprise came from my successful fight or how well the apology went. Or maybe... "All of that happened?" he asked. Yep, everything surprised him.

"Lately I have been living one hell of a life," I responded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have fallen behind in my travels."

Reggie sighed. He probably wanted to tend to my bruises, but he didn't say a word.  _Leave this mess to the next Nurse Joy he runs into_ , was probably what he was thinking. "Fine. Be careful."

"No promises," I replied, just like I had five years ago. I heard him chuckle out of amusement and disbelief as I walked out the door.

Back on the road. And now, not only was I heading for Pastoria City, but to Haley as well.

Then a thought crossed my mind.

"Wait." I turned my head. "What if she's behind me?"


	15. Forgiveness

Humming. That's something you don't hear me do every day. You also probably don't hear the words "Paul" and "happy" in the same sentence unless there's a "not" somewhere in it. But that day that third word wasn't there. Because I was happy. Two days before, I realized something, and the mere thought of that realization made me happy as can be.

What is that realization? I'll let you guess for a while.

One week had past since I left Veilstone City, and I had reached Lake Valor Resort. I'm sure I don't have to point out that it's a lakeside resort, but it's also an ocean resort. It's one of those places that rich people (like my dad...ugh) would visit, although  _thankfully_ there's a Pokémon Center here.

As I walked towards the sidewalk closest to the lakeshore, I overheard some people talking about something called the Wallace Cup. That could only mean it was some sort of Contest since the Hoenn Champion and Master Coordinator's name was the title of the thing. From what I heard it was starting 5 days from the day I was there. At the most I would have to leave in four, then. Me, deal with all of those Coordinators? No thanks.

Suddenly the smell of freshly baked bread hit my nose. I looked to the side where all of the suites were. It was a vendor, selling baked goods and bread. Apparently someone believed in setting up early. I felt my stomach rumble. Well, it was near lunchtime. I mean, I guess I could have continued to the Pokémon Center and got something for free, but...it was there, and it smelled good. I walked up to the stall.

"G'day, lad!" the merchant exclaimed. "Feelin hungry?"

I nodded. I scanned the selections, and ended up reaching for a croissant. Another hand, though, had the same idea. A familiar gloved left hand. I whipped my head towards the owner, and she did the same to me.

Haley.

We just stood there, looking at each other, for a few moments. Then, before she could move, I snatched her wrist. I almost grabbed her hand, but I quickly remembered that it was sensitive. And I also laid off any real strength. I never wanted a repeat performance of Mt. Coronet for as long as I lived. "We'll...uh...be right back," I informed the owner before taking off, dragging Haley behind me. I ducked into an alleyway. Now we were on opposite walls, looking at each other again. My heart was racing so fast I thought it would literally explode out of my chest. "H-Haley, I-"

"I'm sorry," she said. She turned. "I don't feel like talking."

No, no, NO! This wasn't how it was supposed to go! "Please listen!" I begged. "I-"

"Why?" she asked. Her eyes darted to me, but they weren't glaring like last time. That would be a slightly good sign if Haley weren’t thinking of walking away. "So you can spit out apologizes that may or may not mean anything?" She began walking.

"Just please hear me out!" I continued as she walked. "You can choose to believe them or not, but please, at least give me a chance!" Or maybe...maybe she had given me chances, and this was her way of saying I was out. That thought crushed me, but I couldn't give in. Not just yet.

She stopped. Good, maybe- "How long are you going to be staying here?" Or not.

 _As long as it takes,_ I wanted to say. But that wasn't true. I had places to be. I sighed. "At most, four days."

"Are you going to be at the Pokémon Center?"

If she was thinking of staying there and I said yes, those plans of hers would probably change. I pointed towards Route 214. "In the woods on the route, very close to the resort," I told her.

Haley stood there. "I'll find you when I'm ready, and not a moment before. Don't think of trying to find me and change my mind." And with that she walked off, gone.

I stood in the alley, alone. I sighed and leaned against the wall. That could have gone  _so_  much better. But it could have gone worse as well. Guess I should have been glad I didn't get yelled at or hurt in any way. I finally walked out and, as promised, I returned to the stall. "Girl problems?" the owner asked.

I shrugged. I took that croissant I had been eyeing before and walked back towards Route 214. As soon as I sat on the ground against a tree, Torterra and Electabuzz emerged from their Poké Balls on their own. Either they had noticed my stress or the lack of training today. Looking at my face, they grew slightly worried. I sighed.

"It didn't go so well," I reported. At first they were slightly confused. But seeing as she had been on all of our minds (except Gliscor; it had no idea who Haley was or why she was really that important, and I think it even made a face once, as if it was wondering why I was even trying), they quickly understood, looking even more down than before. "She is at least thinking of hearing me out, so it's not a total no," I told them and then ate a little. "At least, not as of yet."

"Tor, Torterra," my starter said. How I wish I knew what he was saying so I could respond properly.

I looked at him. "I just don't know what's going to happen if she decides to not come along, Torterra," I admitted. "I don't want to lash out like that again, but I'm... I'm afraid I will." I quickly finished my food, gulped it down, and then yelled out in frustration. "No one said love would be so hard!" I shouted before flopping on my back.

That realization I said I had: I love Haley.

At first, I freaked out a little, and I even thought maybe I was wrong. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. That would explain why I felt empty with her gone, and when she was around the world just felt so right. Why my blood boiled when guys tried hitting on her and why I felt electricity that one day.

Then I thought about what would have made me think this way. How she battled came to mind first, followed immediately by her personality, how she could be super happy (but not to an annoying level) and a total badass. It was all in one person. Next came how she laughed, how she smiled, her eyes... Oh man, that's what got me the most. They're what still get me the most. I never understood what people meant by drowning into one's eyes, but now, thinking back to those hazels, I understood it all too well.

In three days, I've learned that love is a wonderful thing. And a horrible curse.

The hours crept by, and soon it was night. We hadn't done a damn thing. Everyone (minus Gliscor) seemed as down as I was that there was a chance I wouldn't even get to plead my case. I made dinner and got out Poké Food for everyone else. We just sat in the clearing we called camp in silence, and Weavile snuck off at some point. I didn't notice until he had returned, looking even more down than before.

"And where did you sneak off to?" I asked. I would have sounded sterner, but I was too busying being surprised at how I missed his actions.

My Dark-Ice type looked at me and hung his head in defeat. "Wea..." he sighed.

I thought. "Did you try convincing her?" He nodded. Clearly it went as well as my attempt. Guess if even my Pokémon couldn't convince her, our only option really was waiting.

We all must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing the seven us knew, it was morning. My neck was killing me. Using your bag as your pillow will do that. Shaking my head to push sleep away, I returned everyone to their Poké Balls. I still wasn't up for training. I sighed and decided to go to the lakeshore.

Now, I may hate rich snobs, mainly because my old man is one, but I can at least see why they come to places like this. Lake Valor really is beautiful, and that's what I kept thinking as I leaned on the railing, the slight wind barely affecting the clean-and-clear-as-glass water. "Maybe I  _should_ rent a room, just until she agrees to talk to me," I mumbled to myself. "They'd give me one... I think. All I'd have to do is show my ID and say, 'Yeah, I'm  _that_  Zuckerman' and they-"

A roar of a Steelix interrupted my thoughts. My head whipped towards the sound, and now there were people running away from it in panic. Alright, what idiot upset their own Pokémon? There was no way this Steelix was wild since Lake Valor and the surrounding areas weren't the right environments. Well, since these rich assholes were too busy trying to run instead of save the resort, and it seemed no Coordinators were close, I figured I had to do something. I ran towards the attacking Steelix.

"Ursaring, stand by for battle!" I shouted as I ran, throwing his Poké Ball. He materialized, and at first he was a little slow. Probably because he had been the last to wake up and I had immediately placed him in his Poké Ball before he could fully wake up. And not to mention we hadn't trained in a while. But as soon as he saw Steelix, he was wide awake. He roared, and I wasted no time. "Hammer Arm!" I ordered. My Pokémon charged, his arm white.

"Slam!" someone shouted.

That caught me off guard, but I was still able to order Ursaring to dodge. He jumped back, barely avoiding the tail that had quickly come crashing down. When the dust lifted, I was met with a boy, maybe a year or two younger than me, who was wearing a green shirt and brown shorts. "And dare I ask what you're doing?" I stated. I was starting to regain my old self. Though I figured it was probably only for the battle.

"We wouldn't be doing this if  _she_ would just listen to us!" he replied.

"There are better ways to find someone than attacking a resort," I informed.

"Oh trust me, this is the only way," he retorted. "She's stubborn, that one. We've had to do this before."

Either this guy was  _chasing_ a criminal or  _he_ was one. "Ever think you're being just a bit pushy if this isn't your first time? Who exactly are you after?"

"Like you would know anything about Haley Sedai!" What?  _What_? "If she just complied-"

Ursaring cut him off by suddenly connecting that Hammer Arm with Steelix, giving me time to run up to him and grab him by his shirt.

"What's so important about Haley?" I asked in a threatening way.

Clearly he hadn't expected that. "So you know her?" He shook his head. "Tell me where she is!"

"Not before you answer my question!" I snapped and shook him once. "Of course, depending on how you answer, I might not say another word."

He grunted. Then we heard footsteps and a Mawile. "Yo Sis, 'bout time!" I sighed internally. Great, so the name of the game was Steel types, and I had left Magmar at home. Not to mention I had kind of forgot the "we" part.

"You are so useless, Colin," a voice, sounding exasperated, replied. I turned and was met with a girl, who sort of looked like Haley but her face was slightly different, she looked older than her by one year, and she had green eyes and brown hair. She was wearing something similar to Haley, a t-shirt and a skirt, but it looked like a school uniform, not something a traveler or a criminal would wear. "Mawile, save my idiot brother with Flash Cannon."

I jumped out of the way of the blast, dropping this Colin kid in the process. "Electabuzz, Brick Break!" I ordered as I released him as well. As my Pokémon attacked, there was the sound of electricity and fire coming from somewhere farther down. I turned and sure enough, there was a Thunderbolt and a Flamethrower being exchanged.

"Looks like Mom found her," the sister said. "Again. Why does she get all of the fun?"

"What do you people want from Haley?!" I demanded.

"And to what purpose does my cousin serve you?" she asked.

"You attack your own family?!" No matter how much Reggie gets on my nerves and how much I get on his, we wouldn't attack each other. And as much as we hate our dad, we wouldn't do that, and neither would he... I think.

The teen rolled her eyes. "That's the only way for us to get our hands on her," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She refuses to come along quietly."

"Well, maybe if you weren't such assholes, she would!" I snapped.

"We tried the first time, and she said, 'No way!'. So we have to use force."

"And  _I'm_ the idiot," Colin retorted. "Why are you telling him everything, Karina?!"

"I didn't say why we're taking her, doofus," Karina stated. "Speaking of you, why does it matter to you why we're doing this?" She walked closer to me, and as she did she began smiling. Oh this can  _only_ mean trouble. "Or...is it that you're important to her?" At the moment, that couldn't have been farther- why was there suddenly a finger lifting my chin up? "I mean, I guess I can see why. You  _are_ kind of cute." What was wrong with this girl?! "I might just steal you, just to see how my cousin will act."

"She won't care," I responded.

The girl blinked. "Oh, so then...why do you care if she wouldn't?"

 _One-sided attractions_ are _a thing, you know,_ I wanted to say. But there was also no way I was confessing to anyone but my Pokémon (which, in all honesty, that was completely by accident; they found out the day after I did, and that turned into an extra long training session for them), so instead I replied with, "I don't like seeing kidnappings."

"Mmm, such a hero," she cooed. Then she- oh God she was snuggling my chest! "Though I really wish you were  _my_ shining knight in armor."

Man this was uncomfortable. And definitely unwanted. "Get the hell away from me," I grumbled, but someone yelling the same exact sentence drowned it out.

"In-Infernape!" I heard Haley's Sinnoh starter shout. I turned to see Pokémon and Trainer engaged in battle with a Magnezone with a middle-aged woman who looked like a cross between all three of the related kids.

Funny, I should have been focused on helping Haley out, but in that spilt instant I saw Infernape for the first time I thought,  _Damn it, I missed his evolution._

"Always the same song and dance with you!" the woman snapped. "Just give up already!"

"I should say the same thing to you!" Haley snapped back. As the aunt and niece argued over Haley's freedom, I noticed the water behind them bubbling. Something was going to attack her from behind. I should have yelled, but I acted on instinct.

I pushed my...new admirer...away and ran. Mawile and Steelix tried to stop me, but Electabuzz and Ursaring made sure that I wasn't interrupted. I jumped, pushing both Haley and I out of the way of a metal claw that suddenly emerged from the water, intent on snatching Haley, no doubt. The claw reminded me of something that Team Rocket gang would use, except this was for a person, not a Pokémon. Infernape was able to jump out of the way before it caught him. The machine that the claw was attached to popped out of the water, revealing a man (who was visibly frustrated at was most likely another failed attempt at the plan actually working) piloting it. A Skarmory flew next to him. Haley and I sat up as our three Pokémon joined us.

"You have one messed up extended family," I told her.

"My dad isn't too happy about how his sister turned out, either," Haley replied as we stood up. She looked at me. "You wouldn't happen to have a Fire type on you?"

I wondered if that was supposed to be a stab at my heart, but there was no trace of it in her voice. "Unfortunately, I left Magmar at home," I answered. "Funny, I was cursing myself out for the bad timing as well."

She chuckled. A good sign to the fact that maybe she didn't hate me quite as much as I thought. "That's okay. You handle Skarmory and Magnezone. I'll handle my cousins."

"I would rather not deal with Karina. She tried hitting on me."

" _Did she now_?" Haley sounded slightly annoyed. So did...did she like me, too? Or was she more upset that Karina was treating all of this like a game? Haley released Empoleon.

"Aw, damn it, did I miss  _everyone's_ evolution?"

Her eyes darted to me. Crap, I shouldn't have said-

Then she smiled. "Unfortunately. Does this mean you won't do anything stupid anymore?"

I almost forgot about her family, too busy trying to figure out if that meant she was okay with me traveling with her again. "W-well...I still have to apologize-"

"If you help me get rid of these creeps, I'll listen to you, and most likely I will forgive you. Assuming, of course, you make a good apology." She smiled even bigger. "I wonder, what does Paul look like when he begs?" She winked.

If there wasn’t this group of kidnappers standing in front of us threatening to take my crush away, I probably would have melted.

The aunt growled. "Greg, I thought you said that would work this time!" she shouted.

Her husband pushed up his glasses. You know, typical mad scientist thing to do. All he was missing was the lab coat, the crazy hair and grin, and talking about me as if I were a test subject. "I did not account for the boy, Shannon," he reported. Scratch that last point.

Shannon glared at me. Guess that chill-you-to-the-bone glare runs in the family. "Listen, boy, no one messes with the Ore Family and gets away with it!" she proclaimed.

The... Ore Family? Sure, it made sense since they used Steel types, but... "Their real last name is Lowell," Haley whispered. She must have seen my disbelief. Ah, how I missed her reading me like a book. Though whether that claim is true or filled with sarcasm is still up in the air, even to this day.

I sighed. "I don't care what they call themselves, they're still a bunch of freaks that need to be taken care of," I said.

"Now we're talking!" Haley exclaimed. "Infernape, Flamethrower on Mawile! Empoleon, Bubblebeam on Steelix!" Now that badass fighting spirit she had? Missed every second, and no sarcasm to be found.

"Electabuzz, Thunder on Skarmory! Ursaring, Focus Blast on Magnezone!"

"Dodge then Air Cutter!"

"Zap Cannon!"

"Dark Pulse, Mawile!"

"Mud-Slap! ...Crap!"

I think it's clear Colin doesn't quite have the greatest of heads on his shoulders.

We were doing great. Steelix was down first thanks to an Ice Beam (replacing that trick-up-the-sleeve Icy Wind), and Skarmory was next with a well-placed Thunder Punch (I had given up on Thunder in this fight; Skarmory was just too fast). Now we were down to the women. Apparently, in Haley's family, that saying is reversed: never send a man to do a woman's job.

...I might have dug myself an unintentional hole.

"Come on, Cousin, give it up!" Karina shouted.

"How many times-"

"I'm not just talking about yourself anymore." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Haley's twitch. "That boy-" A very angry order for Flamethrower thankfully cut her off. Mawile was down, and now all that was left was Magnezone. It had been a pain for the last few minutes, dodging most of my attacks and only sometimes attacking. Like it was more of a distraction...

Shit!

I realized the ploy too late as suddenly Haley was grabbed from behind that claw. How had we been too distracted to notice that? Even Shannon seemed slightly confused. "She's...caught?" she asked. "I-I mean, yes, she's caught!"

"Haley!" My shout was drowned out by her uncontrolled screaming as she was lifted about 10 feet above the ground. In that instant, I remembered she was deathly afraid of heights. She became like Chimchar when he saw a Zangoose, or when I (now formally) saw the Nightmare Gang; she would lose all logical thought and either freeze or scream.

"Nice going, Dad!" Colin shouted.

"Now her power is ours!" Shannon proclaimed.

Power? What power? I shook that question away mentally. That wasn't important. Right now, saving Haley was, and if she couldn't think logically, then I would for her.

"Ursaring, throw Infernape up there," I instructed. "Once you're up there, get Umbreon's Poké Ball and throw it to me. After that, try and pry that claw open. Umbreon will help." The two nodded. Ursaring took Infernape's wrist and threw him up at the claw. The four-foot chimp grabbed onto the cord that connected the claw to the machine. He quickly dug through his Trainer's belt.

"In-Infer!" he cried and threw what I had requested plus an extra. Apparently Infernape thought we could use someone else in this plan, but I didn't know who. I released Umbreon and the mysterious Pokémon, which turned out to be Luxray. They turned their heads. Umbreon looked really excited to see me, but Luxray seemed to no longer trust me. Hearing her Trainer's desperate screams, though, let her push all of that aside. I couldn't help but wonder what Infernape thought Luxray would do, but I guess we would find out.

"Magnezone!" Oh, right, it still wasn't down.

"Empoleon, Electabuzz, Ursaring, keep it at bay! Umbreon, use Psychic and help Infernape pry the claw open!" Our Pokémon went to work.

"Greg!"

"Trying, dear! But it is a little rocky now!" I noticed they were twice as high now, maybe even a bit more, and farther away as well.

"Luxray, I don't know-"

"Lux, Lux." She motioned her head towards her back.

I walked up next to her. "You want me...on your back?"

She rolled her eyes. "Lux." Clearly I was no longer in her good graces.

"Just clarifying," I said as I jumped on. "I still don't know what this is going to accomplish."

"Um-Umbre!" Umbreon suddenly shouted. The claw was open, and Haley was now in free fall. Even if I were running, there would be no way-

...Oh

... _OH._

Suddenly Luxray took off, and I knew why I was there: my role was to catch Haley.

"Faster," I mumbled.

"Lux," she replied with a nod. The pace quickened, and with her powerful muscles, Luxray jumped into the air. I caught Haley, and then Luxray was on the ground again, slowing to a stop.

Out of all the times I thought time would slow down, it hadn't. It had been very quick.

"Umbreon, bring the family together!" I ordered since Haley was still in no condition to do so. Umbreon used Psychic on the machine and, with a little help from Infernape, sent it towards the rest of the family, along with a fainted Magnezone. Now how did Ash and his merry gang of misfits get rid of the gang that followed them? With Haley in my arms, I hopped off of Luxray and performed our own version.

"Luxray, Thunderbolt! Electabuzz, Thunder! Umbreon, Dark Pulse! Infernape, Flamethrower! Ursaring, Focus Blast! Empoleon, Bubblebeam!" Six attacks fired, and the Ore Family was now in the sky.

"What a bad feeling!" I heard them all shout as they flew away. Then there was a twinkle.

...Huh. Maybe they're more like those three losers than I thought.

Oh. So that's what she meant by déjà vu.

I didn't give them another thought as I stood the trembling girl on the ground, one arm behind her back and the other in the front just in case she fell either way. "It's okay, Haley, you're on solid ground again," I said quietly. The other five Pokémon ran up to us.

She took a few breaths. "Yeah...sorry," she said.

"Hey, you're the last one who should be apologizing, for more reasons than one," I told her.

"Right, you know how it feels."

"Well, yes, but also-" Her hands suddenly and gently on my cheeks caused me to stop. And she had this warm little smile that made my heart skip a beat. I seriously felt like I would melt this time, but I kept myself in check.

"Paul, everything's okay, really," she said. "I forgive you." There was a gasp of happiness from my Pokémon, and a slightly irritated one from Luxray.

"Lux, Lux, Lux!" she shouted, shaking her head.

Haley removed her hands from me and turned to her Pokémon. "I know, Luxray, but you heard Reggie, and seeing him, I believe it," she replied.

Hold on.

Luxray barked some more. "Don't you believe we would just be hearing the same thing?"

Was she...

Luxray argued again. "I think he meant-"

"Are you  _speaking_ to Luxray?" I asked, no longer able to hold my question in. "As in, having a  _conversation_?"

She turned to me. "Didn't my family-"

"They only said wanted your power, not  _what_ is was," I informed her. "You...you can understand Pokémon?"

Haley walked a little ways away and leaned her back on the railing. "I guess I owe you an explanation," she said.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want-"

"But I do want," she interrupted. "Yeah, it's true, I can understand Pokémon. What sounds like chatter to you are actual words to me." To say I was amazed was beyond true. "I've been able to since the day I was born. That's not all. I can read their emotions through their eyes, so even if they don't talk to me, I can at least get an idea of what they're feeling."

I closed my eyes, thinking. "Does that ability extend to reading humans as well?" I asked.

"There are very few of us who can understand Pokémon," Haley continued. "There are even fewer who can also read their emotions. And then people like me, who on top of those two can also read human's emotions...we're almost nonexistent." I opened my eyes to see her rotating her right foot. "You can actually be born with only one or a combination of any of them. My uncle Ted, for example, can see the emotions of Pokémon, but he can't understand them. And reading someone like a book...to be honest, someone doesn't need to be born with that, although those people sometimes get it wrong. I'm very rarely wrong in my readings." Her right index finger slid back and forth on the railing. "It's why I'm comfortable telling all of this to you. You look curious and-"

"Amazed?" I offered.

Haley smiled. "Yeah. I actually wanted to tell you sooner, much sooner, as soon as we started traveling, actually but...I was afraid you would either want me for selfish reasons like my aunt or that you call me a freak."

"I can see why people would call you that," I admitted. "But I wouldn't. Though, I can't see what your aunt would want out of all of this."

"Something about scamming people or convincing Pokémon to leave their Trainers. I don't know, and I don't want to." She sighed. "Dad said she was always eccentric, but not anything like a criminal."

"Money makes people stupid," I stated.

"Not always." I shrugged. "Well, now you know my biggest secret. I can talk to Pokémon."

I nodded slowly. Then my eyes widened. I turned to her. "Chimchar..." I said. "That's how you knew-"

"I didn't know about the Zangoose incident," Haley stated. "But I did know Chimchar wanted to get strong, because he wanted to please you." She looked at me. "To live up to your expectation. You were the first, human or Pokémon, to ever believe in him, Paul. That's what he told me once."

Now it made sense. Why Chimchar was a little timid, why he gave up sometimes, and why he wanted to stay despite me pushing him away. It was why he came to help me. Once, I had wanted to call her out for lying right to my face, but the weight of my mistake was taking priority. I slammed my head on the railing. "Rub salt in my wounds, will you?" I groaned.

"Reggie told me what had happened," Haley said. "I'm at least happy for you thanking him."

"I didn't tell Reggie everything," I stated, rubbing my head. "I made Chimchar promise me something."

"Hmm?"

"I want him to grow stronger, and then beat me one day."

I heard Electabuzz grumble something. "Electabuzz says he's not going to let that happen," Haley translated. Oh man, that's super helpful.

"It may happen," I replied. I looked at my Pokémon. "But we won't let him get it easily, of course. He has to work for it, and if he can't do it, then it proves he was never up to the task." I smirked, and so did my Pokémon, though I also thought I saw a glint of happiness. I was getting my old fire back. And that little thought reminded me of something. "Hey, Haley."

"What?"

I released the rest of my Pokémon. They looked at her, and I smiled. "They've missed you, you know." There was a gasp of surprise (except, again, Gliscor). "If you had made me plead my case, my last resort was going to be something about being here for their sake, you know."

Haley smiled and stood up in front of the four. "Sorry I was gone for so long, guys," she said. "I just needed space. But I'm back now." The three who knew her cheered, especially Weavile. It was a little out of character for him (well, all of them were a little out of character anyways) when he leapt at Haley, who caught him. She laughed. "I'm sorry, Weavile," she said. "I didn't mean to yell at you last night." I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you sent him, and I had told you to let me think about it. I was so angry, thinking you broke that rule, I was thinking of just leaving without telling you. And I was about to until Aunt Shannon appeared." She laughed again. "It's funny. She always appears when I'm about to make a stupid decision, and then right after she leaves I rethink my actions. As annoying as those four are, they are excellent unintentional life coaches."

"Well, I really wouldn't have blamed you if you just left," I stated.

"To be honest, that would have been cruel," she replied. She let Weavile down, and then suddenly she was in my face, the collar of my shirt in her fist, and I was staring at her narrowed eyes. "But if you pull  _anything_ like that again, you won't be getting a third chance." I gulped. "And from now on, if you catch a Pokémon, even if afterwards you claim it to be 'weak', you will under  _no_  circumstance release it. You can say it's weak in your head, but if I hear you say it out loud, you are going to train it. And you will  _not_ release any you already own. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," I replied.

She looked at me for a moment longer before letting me go and allowing me to release my held breath. "Good," she said. "Well, shall we get going? Pastoria Gym won't be coming to us, and I don't know about you, but I'm not waiting for the Chaos."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I say that's a good idea." My Pokémon nodded, smiles on their faces, and I recalled them. Haley followed suit. "Hey." She looked at me, and I extended a hand. "Friends?"

Haley smiled and suddenly hugged me. I was startled a little, but I smiled as well and folded my arms around her. "It was lonely," she admitted.

"It was," I agreed. We broke the hug and began traveling as a team once more. "Hey, I have a question about your family."

"Yeah?"

"Do...uh, the women run it mostly?"

She blinked. "What does that mean?"

"Do they wear the pants most of the time?"

"Oh...no, I think it's mostly even. Shannon's the one exception."

"So, you're Mom doesn't?" I was pushing my luck here.

"Well, I guess sometimes."

"What about your other aunt?" Now I was really pushing it.

"I don't have another aunt. Uncle Ted isn't married." She looked at me. "Where are you going with this?"

Shit. "No where, just curious."

"Liar."

"I'm not!"

"Your eyes say otherwise!"

"I think they're off-" Suddenly she was twisting my arm.

"Paaaauuuul, tell me!"

"You're actually proving my point!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" I freed myself and ran. "Hey, get back here and answer my damn question!"

Yep, I definitely dug a hole for myself.

But it's damn worth it.

...

I noticed Paul run by, followed by that Haley girl. Luckily they hadn't noticed me, though I don't think they would have wanted to see me, anyway. I had watched their fight against those four attackers. I hadn't realized Paul had gotten so strong. And his traveling partner is as well. No wonder Mars had such a hard time. "Master Cyrus, come in." It was Saturn coming in through my communicator. I turned it on.

"Speak."

"It is about the test for the Galactic Bomb. I know you do not enjoy bad news, but I figured it would be best to inform you that the latest test ended like all of the others."

"I do appreciate the truth at the very least," I replied. "Continue your research on the bomb as well as the meteor. And one more thing, Saturn."

"Yes?"

"Those two that beat Mars. We are to keep an eye on them should they cause trouble again."

"The Zuckerman kid and the girl, sir?" Saturn clarified. "But sir, with all due respect, they are just children. And I believe if we should be keeping an eye on children, it should be those three that tried to ruin our plans in Veilstone City."

"I air on the side of caution. Or are you defying my orders?"

There was a pause. "No, sir."

"Good. Should they interfere again, I want it reported, just like with the other three."

"Yes, Master Cyrus." And with that he cut off communications.

I watched Paul disappear into the distance. I remember seeing him as a child before his brother took him and ran. Such a shy boy he used to be. I met him once or twice before he began traveling around the world, and at that point in time he was more scared. Three years ago I noticed another change, as he had become cold to the world, most likely to get rid of his scared nature. Meeting him in Mt. Coronet, he just seemed content, though as I walked away I noticed I had made him angry, annoyed, and unnerved. Now here he was, seemingly happy, or at the very least content once more, and those angry feelings have melted away. I knew the change in emotions would not end today. Emotions are a tricky thing, a complex thing, and a thing that only causes strife. That is why I wish to create a world in which emotion is nothing more than a fable.

Paul should know more than anyone that emotions cause fighting, since he had been on a roller coaster of emotions himself, and yet he continues to act upon these emotions. Then I had an idea.

"Yes," I decided. "You and I will encounter each other again."

* * *

  **A/N: If you couldn't tell, Paul is actually going to be a little more involved with Team Galactic than he was in the anime. Why? Well before the final episode that Team Galactic appeared in came out, I always thought he would. I mean, Reggie got involved, Gary got involved, and even Barry got involved. Fucking _Barry._ I have nothing against the guy but seriously? You have Barry do something but not Paul? Ugh, I'm rambling.**


	16. Chim-Charred!

**A/N: Yes, I know I'm reusing the title from the anime, but I really like this one. It's just too perfect. Oh, and another thing. From now on, you will be able to hear the Pokémon's voices. Just know that Haley is translating for Paul sometimes (since sometimes he doesn't need to hear what's been said) and sometimes I will say that Haley translated it, but only if she has a reaction. Any who, as Monty Python would say, get on with it!**

* * *

 "Okay, so we're battling Crasher Wake next, right?"

"Yeah."

"And then Fantina is next, right?"

"Yeah."

"So that got me thinking about something that I've been meaning to ask."

"What is it?"

"How did your battle against Morty go?"

Paul's mouth twitched nervously. "Oh, well, fine."

"You can at least  _try_  and sound convincing," Haley stated.

"Fine, I...almost lost." Lie. "I'm better at dealing with Ghost type Pokémon than actual ghosts," slight lie, "but they still give me the creeps. It's why I don't have one." Then Paul smirked. "How was your battle against Winona?"

"G-great."

"And you say  _I_ need to try."

"Well, I'm not totally lying. The second attempt went great. When, you know, she agreed to have the battle on the ground." Haley glared when Paul chuckled. "You know, you wouldn't have lasted two seconds against Agatha and Phoebe. So chuckle all you want, Mister Pokémon League."

"I missed that."

"Missed what?"

"The nicknames. I'm just not that creative." Haley smiled. Then her stomach growled. "So, is it because your stomach is a bottomless pit or do I have to start forcing breakfast upon you again?"

Haley blushed. "Let's just find a Pokémon Center," she grumbled. Paul smirked again.

It had been three days since the two had left Lake Valor, and they were approaching Pastoria City. Though they were still quite a ways away, according to Haley's Pokégear, to which she complained that maps always made their destination seem like it was so close. Along the road they found their second Pokémon Center and they went inside to appease Haley's hunger ("Appease? Really?" "Haven't I said before I'm trying to have a more colorful vocabulary?"). They got some lunch and sat down, but before Haley ate the sound of the TV caught her attention.

"Wartortle! Now, on stage!" She turned to find the Turtle Pokémon emerge from its Poké Ball surrounded by pink bubbles.

"Oh, that's right, the Wallace Cup starts today," Haley noted. Paul looked up, and then went back to his food, uninterested. "Wait, I think I know that girl...yeah, that's May!"

"May?" Paul repeated. "Friend of yours?"

"No, but while I was traveling through Hoenn I caught a few Contests on TV. The ones I saw all featured her, and she was pretty good, even when she first started out. Although there were definitely little bumps in the road." She smiled at the screen. "I guess you can say I'm kind of a fan."

"Have you ever wanted to participate in a Contest?"

"Kind of, but I also don't want to be a Coordinator. I would just want to participate in one for fun."

"You would."

"And what's wrong with having a little fun?" Haley sounded annoyed, but there was a smile on her face. Paul didn't answer, and instead gave her a smirk.

May's performance went over great as she showed off Wartortle's beautiful tail. There were a few other competitors, including the girl Zoey that Dawn and Brock had told Haley about. The two were just about to leave when a familiar voice rang through the speakers. "That's me!" he exclaimed happily.

"What?" Paul spun and looked at the screen in disbelief.

"Is that...Ash?" Haley asked.

Indeed it was, wearing a tuxedo outfit and a hat to match. He actually looked quite handsome and yet strangely out of place. It was probably because of his Buizel, who was showing off more power than grace. In fact that pretty much summed up their routine: power. Unlike all of the appeals up to that point, Ash showed off how powerful Buizel was. Still, the judges liked it, although there was another critic who thought otherwise.

"What does he think he's doing?" Paul asked, still in a state of disbelief.

"Clearly, he's participating in a Contest," Haley stated. Her reward was a smack to the head.

"Don't quit your day job," Paul grumbled. Then he walked out, saying something about going to train.

Haley was rubbing her head. "Some things don't change," she said. She decided to stay and watch, and was pleasantly surprised to see Dawn. She had figured after the Solaceon Contest (which she had watched while on her own), she wouldn't be seeing the blunette for a long time. Haley watched as Dawn fumbled with her Poké Ball, obviously still a little nervous. "Come on, Dawn," she encouraged quietly. "Don't let a few duds get you down. I know you can do it."

Dawn quickly recovered. "Ambipom, now spotlight!" Dawn called, and the Long Tail Pokémon materialized in a barrage of hearts.  _She's probably using her as a way to make up for the last Contest,_ Haley assumed. And what a way to make up for it. The Trainer was left amazed at how the younger female had trained her Ambipom, and the use of Swift was much better this time around. The appeal finished, and Haley smiled big.

"Dawn did super!" she declared. "Aw man, I want to see the second round!" She then remembered Paul. "But, uh, that might be a bit of a problem." She chuckled nervously. "Maybe I should try and convince him. Although, I don't know what the consequences will be." She then gave her full attention to the TV and noticed that May, Ash, Zoey, and Dawn had all made it to the second round. "Awesome job, guys. You all deserved it." She then had the sudden urge to contact the blunette. She ran over to Nurse Joy. "May I use the video phone?" she asked.

"Of course," Nurse Joy replied.

Haley thanked her and walked over to the videophone. She looked up the number for the Lake Valor Pokémon Center and called.

Over at the lake resort, the gang walked out of the hall back in their normal clothes. Zoey had walked off, saying she would meet with them later tonight. The gang said a temporary goodbye, and then as they walked Nurse Joy stopped them. "Dawn, I have someone who is calling you," she said after Brock's little love-struck routine.

"Who do you think it is?" Ash asked.

"Maybe it's Mom, or maybe even Kenny," Dawn suggested as they walked to the Pokémon Center.

"Who is that, your boyfriend?" May joked.

Dawn blushed. "Absolutely 100% no way, don't joke like that!" she cried as they made their way over to the phone Nurse Joy told them to go to. She clicked the answer button. "Haley?"

"Hey, Blue!" the older female responded. Then she laughed. "You look confused. Not surprised. I was actually watching the Wallace Cup on TV and I felt the urge to call you and say congrats!"

"You were watching the Wallace Cup?" Ash asked, appearing on Dawn's right.

"Oh, hey Ash. Yeah, it happened to be on in the Pokémon Center we stopped at. I was kind of shocked you were in it too, and...are you okay with honest criticism?"

"Sure," the boy replied happily.

"I thought yours was a bit too boring," Haley said. "It didn't have the same pizazz as everyone else. Not to say that I didn't enjoy it at all."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a professional Coordinator," Ash laughed.

Haley laughed too. "I didn't notice. Oh, and that girl, Zoey. I can see she's a really good Coordinator. I loved watching hers. And May, man that was a good one."

"You thought so?" May asked, appearing on the screen as well.

"Wait, you guys know May?!"

"She's an old friend of mine," Ash explained.

"Oh wow, it's cool to meet you!" Haley stated. "I saw all of your performances while I traveled through Hoenn. Kind of by accident," she added, smiling. "I think you're an awesome Coordinator."

May smiled, embarrassed. "I wouldn't go that far," she said sheepishly.

"Maybe, but I would," Haley admitted. Then she noticed Dawn. With her powers she noticed Dawn felt left out and sad. So Haley smiled even bigger. "And of course, I can't forget you, Dawn." The girl perked up. "What can I say other than spectacular? I thought you were one of the best on that stage."

Dawn blinked, and then she smiling, Haley noting it was a tiny bit sad. "Thank you," she said.

"Oh come on, where's the enthusiasm?" Haley encouraged. "The past is the past. We all make mistakes, and the only thing we can do is learn from them, which I think you did tenfold."

"How did-"

"I was actually in Solaceon when it was Contest day," the Trainer explained. "You made a great comeback, Dawn, and I'm proud of you for that."

"Well, I couldn't have done it without my friends and Pokémon," Dawn stated. "That even includes Maylene. I can't thank her enough."

Haley looked downcast. "Maylene, huh?" she said, her tone flat.

Ash frowned. "Oh yeah, what Paul said," he remembered.

While May asked Dawn who they were talking about, Haley looked at Ash. "I'm just glad she's confident again," she replied.

"How can you still travel with him, even after he said something so awful?!" Dawn cried.

She was silent. "I wasn't there," she said.

"Huh?" all three of them gasped.

"It's been quite the hectic last few weeks," Haley stated. "We went our separate ways for a while since I was really upset about his performance at the Tag Battle Competition, but he's fine now. I promise he won't say anything like that again."

"How did you change him that fast?" Ash asked, amazed.

Haley blinked. "Oh, heh heh, I mean to authority figures, Ash," she said. "Sorry about that."

"That's okay, I'll make him respect me through my own strength!" the boy exclaimed, determined.

"I think you be facing an uphill battle," Haley replied.  _Especially after today,_ she added to herself.

"I know, but I won't give up!"

Haley smiled. "Good, keep up the confidence," she encouraged. "Well, I should get going. I have to find some way to convince Paul to stay one more day."

"May the force be with you," Dawn stated. That got a laugh. "Hey, you made a  _Star Wars_ joke once, and I can make them, too."

"It was funny. I can laugh at funny things." Haley smiled. "Kay, catch you all later!"

"Thanks for calling!" Ash and Dawn replied before the screen turned off. Content, Haley ran out to find Paul training his Gliscor.

"So, I take it the Wallace Cup is finished?" he asked.

"About 15 minutes ago, but, uh...Paul?"

"Yeah?"

"Could we maybe...possibly...stay until tomorrow so I can watch the second round?"

Paul raised an eyebrow. "No."

"Oh come on, please?"

"No."

"It's just one day."

"No."

Haley sighed.  _I didn't want to have to do this._ She lowered her head, making him look at her. He couldn't see her eyes since her head was slightly down. But when she lifted her head, he wished it stayed down. She had widened her eyes and made them water. And she had the most adorable pout. "Pretty please?" she asked quietly, adding to the cute factor.

Paul gulped and adverted his eyes.  _Hook._ "W-well, I don't know."

"I'll have a sparring match with you against Gliscor," she offered cutely.

His head tilted, and his eyes quickly looked at her, only to look somewhere else again. "Um...uh..."  _Line._ Haley grabbed his arm gently, making his head snap to look at her. Her eyes widened a little more. "O-okay, but just tomorrow," he finally caved in.

 _Sinker._ Haley dropped her act and smiled widely. "Thank you, Paul! Oh, but I left my backpack in the Pokémon Center! Let me get it, and then we can have that match!" And she quickly disappeared into the Center.

Meanwhile, Paul watched her go, stunned. "How...how did she..." He growled and ruffled his hair, feeling his cheeks grow warmer. "You're lucky I like you, Haley, and you're even more lucky that you nail a Growlithe face so perfectly."

Haley came back out and the two had their match: Gliscor versus Luxray. Paul wasn't so sure about Haley's choice, but it wasn't because of typing. He was more concerned that the feline would attack him. But Haley brought her out, saying the reason was that Luxray could get use to being around Paul again. Not to mention she wanted to get some training in since Luxray was going to compete at the Pastoria Gym. It was actually a good match, fairly even, and by the time they decided to call it quits the sun was starting to set. They healed their Pokémon, had dinner, and then went to bed. And the next morning they watched some of the second round. The four people Haley was following were doing great, but halfway through Ash's battle against a Coordinator named Kyle, Paul turned and began to walk away. "Hey, Paul, I thought you said we would stay!" Haley cried.

"We've stayed long enough," Paul said. "And don't think you can use the Growlithe face again."  _No matter how adorable it makes you look,_ he added, mentally smiling.

"Okay, fine," Haley sighed. She looked back at the TV as Buizel's Ice Aqua Jet hit the Lanturn. "Good luck, guys," she whispered before following Paul towards Pastoria City.

And their fourth badge.

...

Two days had passed and they still weren't at Pastoria. They were pretty close, but that wasn't close enough for Haley. "I will personally fine whoever made these stupid maps," she grumbled. Paul was about to reply when a Drapion walked out of the forest. Well, more like jumped. They had probably wandered into its territory. "Wah! Don't scare me like that!" Haley exclaimed. Drapion mumbled something. "Well,  _excuse_ me, Prince Charming! How am I supposed to know where your territory ends and begins? It's not like there are lines, and I can't smell your scent!" Paul chuckled. "And what's so funny?"

"It's amusing to see you argue like it's human," he replied.

"Yeah, well, he's got a bad attitude, kind of like a certain plum head I know."

"Now I wonder who that is?" Haley stuck out her tongue. "And you," he turned to the Drapion. "How does a battle sound?"

"Only if you can catch me," he replied (generously translated by Haley, who grumbled it out thanks to still being a little peeved). Paul quickly brought out Electabuzz, and before Drapion could burrow away, he ordered a Thunder Punch, sending Drapion onto the other side of the small river.

"Now use Thunder!" Paul commanded. Electabuzz shot out the powerful bolt, which hit the wild Drapion. Paul brought out a Poké Ball, ready to catch it. Suddenly they heard screaming, and they looked up to see a falling Gligar. Paul moved out of the way, but Haley wasn't so fortunate and ended up with a Gligar on her face and pinned against a rock. Seeing the Trainers and Pokémon distracted, Drapion took the opportunity to dig into the ground and escape.

"Aw, damn it!" Electabuzz cursed.

"Don't worry, it's not our problem," Paul told him, noticing the Electric type's outburst.

"Someone get this thing off me!" Haley cried, though it was a little muffled. Gligar jumped off, allowing Haley to breathe and step away. Now Gligar was surrounded, and it realized it. Electabuzz was glaring, angry for letting Drapion get away. Haley was pissed, seeing as how she had been between a rock and a hard place. Paul was annoyed because...Paul. They were so focused on Gligar they didn't notice the Staravia that flew over them and then doubled back.

"So, what should we do?" Electabuzz asked. "Because I vote we punch its face in." Gligar's eyes watered up.

"We're not going to go that far," Haley replied. "Although I agree something should be done. I say scolding is nice."

"Then I've got the perfect thing to say," Paul said. He stared right into Gligar's watering eyes. "You stopped our training. Get out."

They heard footsteps coming from behind them. "Hey, it's Paul." Ash.

The three turned around, and Gligar happily ran to its owner. "It was so scary!" he cried as he ran up to Ash, getting embraced in a hug.

The rest of Ash's group ran up, one of them being Chimchar, who noticed that Paul was looking at him. And while he had made his promise with determination, that didn't mean Paul wasn't...daunting. He sidestepped so he was behind Ash's back as Pikachu and Turtwig stepped forward. "Hello," Turtwig greeted pleasantly.

"Nice to see you!" Pikachu exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, yeah," Electabuzz replied, though his tone wasn't...as annoyed. Part of it was because he had matured a little, and the other part was because Haley was still a little ticked, and if he made a wrong move, all of her wrath would be on his shoulders.  _That is wrath I do not wish for._

"Did you have your Pastoria Gym challenge yet?" Ash asked, mostly at Paul.

"I can't imagine why a  _losing_   _Coordinator_ like you would have any concern with Gym Battles," Paul scoffed.

The gang gasped. "So, you were-"

"Able to convince him to stay an extra day?" Haley interrupted. "That's right, Dawn. Although, we stopped watching halfway through one of the battles."  _Probably not the best idea to say it was Ash's._ "But we heard through the grapevine that you won. And actually, I've been meaning to ask Ash something: why  _did_ you enter anyway?"

Ash gave off a cocky grin. "I entered the Wallace Cup 'cause Wallace the Contest Master asked me to," he explained. "He thought it would help Buizel's battle skills."

"That's right, and it sure did," Buizel chimed in.  _Would have won though if that stupid Lanturn didn't keep spamming Thunderbolt._

Paul was pissed, so much so that all he could do was smirk and let out an amused grunt. "What's so funny?" Ash demanded.

The older Trainer looked at him. "Remember the reason I entered the Tag Battle in Hearthome City?" he asked, trying very hard to keep his cool.

"Yeah," Ash replied, sounding like he didn't want to know where this was going.

"Well,  _you_ gave  _me_ a hard time because I wanted to get my Pokémon in better shape for a real battle," Paul reminded. Ash grunted. Haley knew he knew exactly what Paul was driving at.  _Odd,_ she thought.  _I figured it would take an explanation. But he kind of seems one step ahead. Something to look out for._ "But that's exactly what you pulled at the Wallace Cup, get it?!" Paul continued, loosing some of his cool.

"What did you say?!" Ash threatened. Pikachu and Haley were taken aback.  _What the- I've never heard him sound so angry,_ they both thought. 

 _And I know he's going to try and rebuttal him,_ Haley told herself.  _But he seems to realize no matter what Paul is kind of right. Even if he is a bit gentler with his Pokémon. Ash, could you possibly not be as naïve as everyone thinks?_ "When I was in that Tag Battle, the only thing I was thinking about was trying to win it!"  _Or...you know, I could always be wrong. He sounds like himself again but I swear I saw something._ "The only thing  _you_ were thinking about was powering up your own Pokémon!"  _And there he goes again! I don't get it, I'm so confused!_

"Well the fact is," Paul retorted, "I  _did_ win it. You weren't able to win the Wallace Cup, now were you? Another perfect example of just how strong you aren't."

Ash growled. "Paul, you've got to give him some credit," Haley piped up, trying to avoid the obvious fight coming on. "He  _was_ up against Coordinators who do Contests as their career and are from all around the world."

"Does it really change the fact that he lost?" Paul countered.

Haley was about to comment again, but Ash beat her to it. "Look, both of us have the same goal of winning the Sinnoh League someday, right?" he pointed out.  _Oh,_ Haley thought.  _Well this is better than expected._ "And of course we also want to beat the Sinnoh League Champion, Cynthia, too."  _...Fuck._

Paul stared, wondering how much he would have to do so in order to burn holes into this brat. "Your point?" he asked.

"After you battled Cynthia, you told me to do whatever I want," Ash reminded.  _Must have been while I was asleep._ "To battle my own way. And you told me that's what you were going to do, too."

 _How the hell did he do that?_ Paul asked.  _That's a pretty smart answer._ "I...guess I said that," he admitted.

"Yeah, well."  _Oh good, back to normal...still don't know if that's bad or good._ "Ever since that time I've been thinking more and more about what it really means to be strong."  _And here we go._ "That means believing in the strength of my friends, and that's because I trust and love them!" His Pokémon cheered. _We'll show you the real super power of teamwork,_ Paul thought unenthusiastically. He even imagined himself pumping his fist in the air using the same amount of enthusiasm. "That's why I'm working so hard to make my Pokémon as strong as they can be, the way  _I_ know how. We both have the same goals, but the way we get them couldn't be more different."

 _Alright, I was impressed at the beginning, I'll admit,_ Paul thought.  _But why don't I have a little fun?_ He chuckled. "You sure do get worked up a lot," he teased. Ash, of course, wasn't pleased that his speech seemingly went through one ear and out the other, which of course caught Haley's eye once more.

"Didn't anything Cynthia say to you mean anything, Paul?" Brock asked after calming Ash down.

"The fact that something was born when all of us met, and that we all get stronger in our  _own ways_?" Haley asked. "Brock, no disrespect, but I think those words can apply to negative emotions, too. Not every person you meet is going to be friends with you."

"Besides," Paul stated, "that's not my thing." The three gasped, and Haley tensed up. "In some cases," Paul added under his breath so that only she could hear. She relaxed. "We're wasting our time," he said, going back to normal volume. "Return now." And he beamed Electabuzz back. He turned around and began to walk down the trail to Pastoria City, Haley following him.

"Not so fast, Paul!" Ash shouted.  _Oh, come on, we were so close!_ Haley thought but kept walking when she noticed Paul was.  _Please, please, please ignore._ "Let's have a battle! I want to show you how strong we've gotten!"

But Paul kept walking. And Chimchar wasn't going to let him get away with that. He ran forward. "Fight us, right now!" he shouted.

His former Trainer stopped. "What was that?" he asked Haley. She looked at Chimchar, noted the determination in his eyes, and then at Paul. She told him, and he turned to look at the chimp.

"Yeah, you heard me, fight us!" Chimchar egged on.

They stared for a few moments. Then Paul smirked.  _First checkpoint,_ he thought as he turned. "Fine by me," he agreed. "How does three-on-three sound?"

"You got it!" Ash exclaimed.

"Good luck, Paul," Haley told him.

He glanced at her. "Do you really think I need it?" he joked.

"Mmm... Pikachu and Chimchar," she said.

He chuckled. "Very well, I'll take it."

With Dawn's Coin Toss App on her Pokétch, they were able to decide who went first. The virtual coin landed on heads, meaning Ash was up to choose first Pokémon, and he ended up being persuaded by a very enthusiastic Gligar. "Gligar's going to be my first choice!" Ash announced.

"And a foolish one, too," Paul said with a smirk. "Now Gliscor, standby for battle!"

Of course, Gligar was a little afraid to be battling not only an evolved version of himself (which, if you didn't know, are exactly double the height) but also his former leader. But Ash encouraged Gligar, saying he had nothing to worry about. "Gligar, X-Scissor, let's go!" Ash commanded.

"Well, at least he can control his flight in battle," Haley mumbled.

"Gliscor, Knock Off!" Paul ordered. As Gligar flew towards the former pack leader, Gliscor made his claw glow black and hit the Fly Scorpion Pokémon right on the head.

Ash wasn't about to let that slow him down. "Come on, Gligar, Sand Attack!" His Pokémon jumped to his feet and began throwing sand into the air, trying to obstruct Gliscor's view.

Too bad the Fang Scorpion Pokémon was half Flying.

"Use Guillotine!" Paul shouted. Gliscor flew above the sand, opened his claw, and it began to glow white. He charged for the smaller Pokémon, and Ash decided to counter with Steel Wing. Gligar jumped...

Right into Gliscor's open claw.

The evolved Pokémon smashed him into the ground, and since Guillotine was an OHKO move, that meant Gligar had definitely fainted. "Whoa, never mind any scolding I was going to give it," Haley stated.

"Think of it as I did the talking for you," Paul replied. "Why waste air?"

Ash went to pick up his fallen Pokémon, and that's when Haley and Paul caught him mouth something interesting.

 _Did Ash just mouth damn it?_ Haley asked.

 _He did it again,_ Paul noted. He watched as he brought Gligar over to the rest of his Pokémon.  _I just don't get it._ "Come on, you did your best," he heard Ash encourage softly, as if he had never thought of being stone cold. The other Pokémon agreed with their Trainer.

Meanwhile, Paul returned his Gliscor.  _I bet he already knows, but if he can rub in my loss to Cynthia, and he can rub in the fact I gave up Chimchar, I think it's only fair._ "Now might be the perfect time to let your Gligar know that a loss is the Trainer's fault," he said. Ash turned his head and glared a glare only Paul had seen himself do. _Okay..._ maybe  _I should have thought that through. Man, why the mood swings? And...why have none of Pokémon seen it? I notice it's only when he thinks no one is watching or thinks no one understands._ But there wasn't any point in lingering on the topic since, for all he knew, he was just blowing things out of proportion. "Now Ursaring, stand by for battle!" he shouted, getting to choose first this round.

Ash noted the Normal type's presence, and then suddenly Chimchar ran forward. "Let me battle!" he cried.

His Trainer turned to him. "You want to go next?" he clarified.

"Right!" Chimchar exclaimed.

"You...sure you'll be all right?" Pikachu asked.

The Fire type turned to him. "Yeah! And besides, I made a promise!"

Pikachu remembered the story Chimchar had told him. "Okay, then go get them!" he encouraged.

"Thanks!" Chimchar took his place on the field. "I'm ready when you are, Ursaring!" he challenged.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you, kid," the Hibernator Pokémon growled.

Paul smirked. "This is interesting," he muttered.

"But not unexpected," Haley replied as Dawn encouraged the chimp.

"Very true," Paul stated.

"Alright, Flamethrower now!" Ash commanded. Chimchar fired, and it was clear he had worked on it considerably, but it wasn't anything Ursaring couldn't handle. He just simply put up his arms and blocked it. "Flamethrower's a bit more powerful now, you think?" Ash taunted.

 _Not bad,_ Paul admitted, though he would never say it out loud. "Focus Blast!" He ordered. Ursaring formed the power ball in his hands and threw it. Chimchar held up his hands and tired to stop it. It exploded in his hands, and when the smoke cleared it revealed that wasn't even a scratch on the chimp's body.

Chimchar looked up. "Man, that stung," he muttered. He heard Ash telling him to use Dig, and so he burrowed into the ground.

"Hammer Arm, in the ground!" Paul ordered. Ursaring attacked, causing the ground to shake, and eventually shooting Chimchar up.

"Not fair!" he shouted.

"Chimchar, Flame Wheel, go!" he heard Ash command. Still up in the sky, Chimchar made his wheel and flew towards his former teammate.

"Catch that!" Ursaring held out his arms and caught the chimp, canceling out the wheel. Both Pokémon were now staring each other down. "Secret Power." Suddenly the two were enveloped in a pink aura that was stinging Chimchar, and when it finally subsided Ursaring head butted him, sending him onto the ground.

"Chimchar, Flamethrower! Go get them!" The chimp got to his feet, and when he did he was met with Ursaring's stare. Now, Ursaring's stares were bad on their own, but right now it was twice as worse.

Damn flinching.

"H-hey, were..." Chimchar gulped. "Were you...a-always this scary? Heh heh, eeeehhhh... Make it go away!" He turned his head and closed his eyes.

 _Oh come on, Chimchar, you were doing so well,_ Paul thought. Something popped into his head. He didn't like it, but maybe it would work. He darkened his face and smirked. "Are you sure it's the Secret Power that's got you so scared?" he taunted.  _Come on, take the bait. Don't take that from me._  But his words went unheard by the flinching Pokémon. He watched as the other Pokémon and Trainers encouraged him.

"Paul, he's not going to attack until you do," Haley whispered. "You know how flinching works."

"But I don't  _want_ to until he  _does_ ," Paul whispered harshly. But he knew she was right. He sighed internally.  _Sometimes I hate side effects._ "Hammer Arm, now!" he ordered again.

Ursaring didn't really want to, either. He was having just as much fun as Paul was, watching Chimchar's increased strength (although he too would never admit it out loud). But he had to, and so he leapt into the air. Meanwhile, Ash was trying to get Chimchar to use Flame Wheel, but his Fire type was still under the effects of flinching. He was actually about to pass out due to fright, and then Ursaring slammed down on him, ironically keeping him from fainting. The chimp watched as his world went black, but not due to a knock out. Rather, rocks that had flown up during the attack piled over him and blocked out pretty much all sunlight.

"...urts, every...thing...hurts..." he mumbled. Just because Ursaring had kept the battle from ending, that didn't mean Hammer Arm was any less painful, especially on the top of his head. He heard Paul say something along the lines of how it was over, and he clenched his fists. "No...not...yet," he muttered. His heart began to race and his blood moved faster.

 _Blaze_ , he thought.

But then the blood started moving even faster than before, and his muscles tightened.  _Hold on, this isn't like any other Blaze...what's going-_ And then it was sort of like an out-of-body experience. He watched himself crash through the rubble and noticed that his tail was bigger than ever before.  _Wow, look at that power! That's amazing! I've never seen anything like it!_ he thought excitedly.  _But...this also feels weird. Every time I've used Blaze before, I've never been able to watch myself. What exactly-_ He then took notice to his eyes: they were red. And he took notice to his voice: it sounded crazy. Like he was...some sort of madman.  _I don't like this..._

"Wh-what the?" Ursaring asked.

"Chimchar's finally awake," Paul noted to himself.  _And yet...it looks even more powerful than last time, and that was already really powerful...what if he can't control it?_

Meanwhile, Ash commanded for a full powered Flame Wheel. And Chimchar fired without hesitation. But that was Chimchar's body. Chimchar's mind, however, noted that his body was going to use that attack whether his Trainer ordered it or not.  _"This isn't right- what the?!"_ He had spoken, but his body's mouth hadn't moved. In fact it didn't stop at all as it ran right through Ursaring's Focus Blast and then Ursaring himself. Chimchar noticed Ursaring had fainted, and yet his body just wasn't ready to stop.  _"Oh this is bad, really bad!"_ he panicked.

"That must be the most powerful Flame Wheel I've ever seen," Paul stated as he recalled Ursaring.

"Wh-who cares on how powerful it is," Haley stuttered. Paul looked at her. "Chimchar's scaring me. It's as if he's not in control of his body anymore."

"Wait, are you serious?" Paul asked. "So...um...what does that mean?"

"I, uh, don't think I want to know the answer to that."

Chimchar didn't either.  _"Come on, you have to stop!"_ he tried telling his body.

"Who are you to command me, weakling?!" his body snapped.

"Paul, Chimchar's talking to no one," Haley reported nervously, completely freaked out.

"I am the strongest, the strongest there is!" Chimchar's body yelled at his mind.

"Chimchar, stop it!" Ash called desperately.

That got the body's attention. He faced his Trainer and, ignoring the pleas of his mind, launched a Flame Wheel at him. He quickly jumped towards Paul, who grabbed Haley and jumped out of the way. "Now I see what you mean," he said to her. He watched as his former Pokémon jumped into the forest and started a fire. "Except I think it's even worse than you imagined."

"And I think if we were to knock him out that would cause major problems," Haley agreed. She shrugged out of Paul's grasp, hoping he hadn't noticed her blush since he had accidentally grabbed her waist when he pulled her away. "Empoleon, Bubblebeam!" she commanded as she threw her Poké Ball. The Emperor Pokémon attacked the fire, helping out Dawn's Piplup when he used Whirlpool. Buizel helped out with his Water Gun, and then everyone noticed Chimchar was still jumping around.

Ash stopped him from moving one way, then Pikachu, then Piplup, Buizel, Turtwig after, Staravia next, and even Haley had to jump in seeing as how the chimp was about to jump into the river. Now he was on a rock, declaring he was the strongest and then moved on to incoherent nonsense.  _And_ this  _is what I wanted?_ Paul asked.  _...This isn't worth it..._

"Chimchar!" Ash cried. He run up and embraced his Fire type, hoping to get through to him. "Stop Chimchar, it's over!" he begged. "Over!" The body wanted to be free of whoever was holding him (of course that thought made his mind freak out) and proceeded to bite Ash's shoulder, making him cry out in pain. But Ash refused to let go, and his other Pokémon were about to spring in to help.

"Hold on!" Pikachu shouted, jumping in front of them. "Let him do this! If anyone can calm Chimchar down it's Ash!" His stern look caused the others to back down.

"Stop it, Chimchar, that's enough!" Ash shouted. "You won already!"

Paul and Haley looked on. "He can't hear him," Haley noted sadly.

"He has to," Paul replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "He has to come back."

"You won, Chimchar, it's over!" Ash continued on. "Chimchar,  **STOP**!"

That final cry seemed to get through the body, and with it momentarily frozen his mind was finally able to get back in control. His muscles relaxed, his blood and heart rate went back to normal, as did his eyes and tail. "I...I..." Chimchar whimpered as he looked at his Trainer's soft smile.

"Wow, that was intense," Ash stated. "But you're okay now."

"No, that's not okay," Chimchar said and looked away in shame.  _That was awful...so awful..._

"Chimchar, you were great," Ash assured. "I guess you just surprised us with all that power you got." He then proceeded to rub his head.

"But I could have hurt someone," he mumbled.

"You really think you'll be able to control that?" Paul asked, sounding concerned, as he approached the two, Haley beside him.

Ash stood up, Chimchar in his arms. "Who knows," he answered honestly. "I sure don't yet. But if anyone can, Chimchar can no doubt."

"I don't know..." Chimchar stated.

 _Does he seriously want Chimchar to get hurt?!_ Paul cried. Not wanting Haley to see what he was thinking, he closed his eyes. "Spoken like a true fool," he said. "When you've learned how to control that flame, we'll battle again," he continued, giving an "obvious Paul response". But deep inside, he never wanted to see Chimchar in that much pain ever again.

Ash smiled. "Kay, Paul it's a deal!" he exclaimed. Paul turned, put his bag back on, and began walking away, with Haley following behind him.

"You...really don't want to see that Blaze again, do you?" Haley stated. Paul didn't answer. He adverted his eyes. The silence went on for a while longer. "Paul...why do you care so much for Chimchar?"

"I've always wanted one," Paul said. "I actually wanted a Chimchar as my starter, but Reggie said that Turtwig was the only Pokémon available." He put his hands in his pockets. "Of course, I didn't mind getting a Turtwig instead, and I don't mind now. But when I caught Chimchar, well...that was the closest thing to happy I had been in years."

Haley let that sink in. "Then why..."

Her friend looked down. "I assume you were there when I released Chimchar, and you were hiding, right?" Haley didn't do anything, and then she nodded. "Then you remember what I said to Ash, right? Although, it's not for the reason I gave."

"...If you love something, set it free?"

"I guess," Paul agreed. He finally looked at Haley, and she gasped at the fear and hurt in his eyes.

...

"That was one of the most terrifying things I've ever seen."


	17. We're Having a Splashdown!

" _Croooaaa..._ GUNK!"

Paul blinked. "What does that mean?"

"I think it means...'Hello'?" Haley answered, sounding unsure.

"You're the one who can understand Pokémon, so why are you asking me?"

"Some Pokémon...only say their name. And Croagunk, apparently, is one of them."

The boy looked at the Toxic Mouth Pokémon again. " _Croooaaa_...GUNK!" it said again.

"Okay, so what's it doing here? Where's its Trainer? And...why does it have a crown on its head?"

"You are asking the wrong girl," Haley sighed.

Currently the two were in Pastoria City (Paul swore he went monetarily deaf when Haley shrieked out a  _FINALLY!_ ) and were very close to the Pokémon Center. But they were stopped when a Croagunk with a crown walked in front of them, sat down, and stared at them. Paul considered this a total waste of time and  _would_ have walked away to not just talk the talk, but the Poison-Fighting type was staring at him so intensely that he seriously felt like he had to understand what this Pokémon was thinking.

But clearly, if Haley couldn't, why should he believe he could?

"Ah, there you are, Craig!" a voice rang out.  _Why do I have the sudden urge to call this person a faker?_ Paul asked himself in irritation. He watched as a boy with brown hair approached them. He had blue eyes and was wearing a tan t-shirt with a green long sleeve underneath and white pants. And the reason why Paul was giving this much attention to him, you ask? Well, when the boy walked up and grabbed his Pokémon, he happened to notice Haley, and he formed a flirtatious smirk.

Paul's annoyed meter: above average.

"Are you the ones who found my Croagunk?" the boy asked, dropping the smirk and replaced it with a simple smile.  _Don't think I didn't catch that smirk,_ Paul thought.  _I'm on to you._

"Well, we didn't  _find_ him, per say," Haley admitted. "We were going to the Pokémon Center when he walked in front of us, and then he started a staring contest with us."

"I thank you for keeping him occupied so he didn't run off any farther," the boy said, taking Haley's hand gently and kissing the knuckles lightly. Paul was  _pretty_ sure he felt a blood vessel pop out of frustration. "And thank you as well," he said to Paul, and though it sounded genuine, Paul could see it was just an off-hand thing he said to look nice in front of Haley.

Paul's annoyed meter: super.

That was a new record. Not even Ash had hit super yet. He was some where in between above average and super.

This wasn't going to end well.

"O-oh, you're welcome," Haley stated, caught slightly off guard. She then giggled out of enjoyment of being praised and from slight embarrassment. Meanwhile Paul was debating on whether to use Electabuzz or Ursaring to knock this guy into next week. I'm  _the only one who gets to make her giggle!_ he thought. Now that he knew about his crush on his friend, he knew exactly what he was feeling around guys like him: jealous. On one hand, he didn't mind it. On the other, it was un-Paul-like.  _Very_ un-Paul-like. And of course, after thinking that last wonderful comment, he imagined beating himself up.  _Seriously? Did I_ really  _just think that?_

"So you two are on the way to the Pokémon Center?" the boy clarified.

"Yeah, and then to the Gym," Haley added.

"Shall I show you the way?"

"I think we can get directions from Nurse Joy just fine," Paul interjected.  _I know what you're doing, and don't think I'll let it happen lying down._

"Are you sure don't need help getting to the Pokémon Center, then?"

"We can  _fucking_ see it!" Paul cried, pointing down the path. "We're not idiots, nor are we blind! Who do you think you are, anyway?"

"Name's Hamilton," the boy introduced. "And you've already met Craig, the defending champion of the Croagunk Festival."

" _Crooooaaaa_...GUNK!"

"The hell is- oof!" Haley had elbowed him in the gut.

"Excuse my friend, he didn't get enough sleep last night," Haley lied quickly. In truth,  _she_ was the one who didn't get enough sleep, and Paul wondered how she wasn't exploding. "We're also not from around here, so I'm afraid we don't know what the Croagunk Festival is."

Hamilton suddenly seemed even cockier than before, if that was possible. "Well, first you have to know that here in Pastoria City, the Croagunk are known as Guardians of the Pastoria Great Marsh," he explained.

Haley was confused. "It's kind of like the Safari Zone in Kanto and Hoenn," Paul clarified.  _But why is a Croagunk their guardian? It's a weak Pokémon if you ask me._ He would have said that out loud, but then he'd have to catch one. That was not happening.

"Oooh."

"And so we hold a festival every year honoring them," Hamilton continued. "There's a competition, too, to evaluate how well each household has cared for their Croagunk and to see who's the strongest." He chuckled and pointed to his Croagunk. "And as I stated before, Craig here is the defending champion. He'll be competing and winning in the competition that takes place three days from now." He smiled at Haley. "Care to stay and watch while Craig shows why he's the champion?"

She didn't get to respond as Paul quickly grabbed her arm and began dragging her off. " _Unfortunately_ ," he began in a way that clearly meant he didn't mean it, "we have places to be and Gym Battles to win. Go find someone else to help stroke your ego." He moved quickly down the road and soon they were at the Pokémon Center.

"Jeez, Paul, I was only covering for you when I said you didn't get enough sleep," Haley muttered. "Anyone would think it was you and not me. What's with you, anyway?"

Silence. "My annoyed meter is at super," he responded as they walked in.

"And that means...?"

"Even Ash hasn't gotten there." Now she fell silent. "Can you take my Pokémon? I need to call Reggie."

"Sure, but what for?" Haley asked as she took his belt.

"...Reasons," he answered, walking away from a very confused Haley. He went to the videophones, picked one, and dialed his home number. A few rings passed, and Reggie picked up, his mouth open for a greeting. But the moment he saw Paul he closed it and his eyes grew big. "What?" No response. Reggie then slowly got out of his chair and walked off screen. "Hey, get back here!" Paul demanded. And he did, with a glass of water. He drank a little and then did an old-fashion spit take. "What the hell, Reggie!"

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?!" Reggie questioned.

"Stop being an idiot," Paul huffed.

Reggie gave a lopsided grin and shrugged. "Sorry, couldn't help myself," he stated. "I mean,  _you_ rarely call, especially if it isn't about a Pokémon exchange."

"Who say it isn't?" Reggie raised an eyebrow.  _Damn it, he knows me too well._ "Okay fine, it's not. Look, I just wanted to check in. Can't I do that?"

"Sure. Just do it more often so I don't have a heart attack." Paul rolled his eyes. "Anyway, you in Pastoria yet?"

"Yeah."

"Did you get your badge?"

"I should be getting it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Reggie repeated. "Does the Gym Leader have something to do today?"

"No, he has a challenger."

"Oh...is it Ash? No, that just doesn't seem right..." Then a smile began to grow on his face. "It's Haley, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"So did you sort things out? Are you guys back together?"  _Back together._ Those words made Paul involuntarily blush a little. "Somehow I think I'm right. Now if only you could tell her your other secret."

"S-secret? What secret? I don't know what you're talking about."

Reggie laughed. "Oh, so you're telling me you're sunburnt then?" That "sunburn" just intensified in color and made Paul's face feel even hotter, making his brother laugh even more. "Come on, Paul, you think I wouldn't catch on? The way you talked about her just screamed how much you like her."

"Sh-shut up," Paul stuttered. "And how can you know something about me that I didn't know?"

"Because it was written all over your face," Reggie explained. "Subconsciously, you liked her, for how long I don't know. But you didn't know about it until you sat down and really thought about it." He gave off a sly smile. "So how does it feel to be in love, little bro?"

Paul gripped the counter the videophone was on. He really didn't want to tell Reggie something so embarrassing, especially since he already seemed to know and just wanted to hear it out of his own mouth. But Paul wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. "Why don't you find someone to fall in love with?" he told Reggie, annoyed.

His older brother laughed, and then he stopped, leaning over to look over Paul's shoulder. "Hey, who's that talking to Haley?"

 _What?_ Paul turned his head to see... "Mother-" He whipped his head back to Reggie. "You need to talk to Haley," he ordered.

"I do?"

"You do."

"About what?"

"Anything while I take care of Faker over there."

Reggie blinked and then gave off another sly smile. "Anything?"

"Don't. You. Dare." And with that Paul spun on his heels and walked over to Haley. "Reggie needs to talk to you," he reported.

Haley looked at him. "He does?"

"He does." Haley tilted her head, obviously wondering why Reggie would want to talk to her, but nevertheless she walked to the videophone. Meaning Paul was left with Hamilton, and he turned to him with a scowl. Hamilton smirked, setting Paul's eyes ablaze. "I'm warning you, right now, stay away from her," he threatened.

"What? I can make friends," Hamilton stated, his smirk even wider. "Or...is it that you're jealous? Jealous because a better-looking guy is talking with such a pretty face? Well, what is it, lover boy?"

"Listen, Faker," Hamilton seemed shocked at his nickname, "maybe I am. And if you know what's good for you, you  _will_ heed my warning."

"Okay, first off, Faker?"

"You look like one."

Hamilton glared. "Second, she already agreed to letting me watch her Gym Battle today."

"She did what?!"

"Who did what?" Haley asked. Apparently she and Reggie were done talking.

Paul turned to her. "You...him... _WHAT_?!"

"He said he hasn't seen a Gym Battle before, and he asked nicely," Haley explained. "So I said yes." Paul grumbled. "You don't have to come, you know."

True, but he wanted to. He always wanted to. "Let's get this over with," he grumbled, giving in.

A little bit later the three made their way to the Gym, thanks to Hamilton's directions. He smiled triumphantly when Haley thanked him. Paul, of course, was pissed. The three of them entered and were greeted with a large pool that had circle platforms dotted throughout it. Suddenly they heard a big, booming laugh. The local didn't jump, but the other two sure did. They discovered who the voice belonged to: a burly man with orange boots, blue pants, no shirt, a white cape, and a...mask? "Hey, Hamilton, what brings you here?" the man asked. "I thought you didn't want to participate in Gym Battles."

"I still don't," Hamilton answered. He slung his arm over Haley's shoulder. "But she does," he continued. "Oh, and so does he."

Paul's annoyed meter: mega.

The man laughed. "I see," he said. "Well, welcome to the Pastoria Gym, you two. My name is Crasher Wake."

"I'm Haley," the challenger introduced.

"...Paul," her friend grumbled. It wasn't Crasher Wake's fault. He had dealt with Chuck of Cianwood City after all.  _You're touching her on purpose,_ he thought.

Crasher Wake laughed and patted Paul's back. "Come on, son, louder!" he encouraged.

"My name is Paul," he responded normally.

The Gym Leader looked at Haley. "He's not one for a fun time, is he?" he asked.

"He doesn't go to parties," she replied, flashing a grin.

Hamilton snickered quietly. "What a loser," he muttered, and only Paul heard it. An idea raced through his head, but it was also really embarrassing and even more un-Paul-like than jealous thoughts. Yet there was no way he was taking any crap from Hamilton. He took a breath.

"MY NAME IS PAUL, SIR, AND I CAME HERE FOR A GYM BATTLE!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

There was silence, giving Paul time to let what he just did soak in. The look of determination didn't disappear from his face, but a small blush of embarrassment did appear. While the other teens looked at him with wide eyes, Crasher Wake laughed once more. "Now that's more like it!" he exclaimed. "So, are you ready to get started, then?"

Paul cleared his throat. "Actually...it's ladies first," he mumbled, pointing to Haley.

"You sure, Paul?" Haley asked, sounding amazed. "You sounded really enthusiastic."

"I'm sure," he replied, sounding completely ashamed.

Soon the battlers were on their sides of the field while the spectators were in the stands (albeit a fair distance apart). "Alright!" the ref began. "The next Pastoria Gym's next battle's about to begin!" He pointed to Haley. "In the blue corner, the challenger Haley from Saffron City! And in the red corner, the Gym Leader of Pastoria Gym, Crasher Wake!" The Gym Leader ripped off his cape and threw it behind him.  _Wait, I thought this was a Gym Battle, not a wrestling match,_ Paul thought, slightly joking.  _...Oh God, that's going to be me tomorrow._  "You will each have the use of three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when one of you loses all three of them. In addition, only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokémon."

"As the Leader of the Pastoria Gym," Crasher Wake announced, "is it my privilege and responsibility to see just what kind of power and skill you and your Pokémon have!"

"Well," Haley stated, "as your challenger, it's my honor to show you want we've got and that we aren't leaving this building without a badge!"

"That's the spirit!" Wake exclaimed. He grabbed a Poké Ball. "Gyarados, on the water!" He released the Atrocious Pokémon, who roared when he was released.

The challenger grabbed a Poké Ball of her own. "There's only one Pokémon I'd call out for this job," she declared. "Luxray, time to shine!" Her Pokémon emerged and jumped onto one of the platforms. When she saw her opponent she smirked.

"This'll be too easy," she said.

"Aren't you cocky?" Gyarados noted.

"A Luxray, huh?" The Gym Leader stated. "Very well, give it everything you've got!"

"With pleasure!" Haley exclaimed.

"Battle begin!" the ref announced.

"Luxray, let's set the record for quickest battle ever!" Haley shouted. "Use Thunderbolt!" The Electric type fired and hit Gyarados directly. He flopped around, but when the attack subsided he just shook off the attack and let out a roar. "What the-"

"That's one powerful Gyarados," Paul observed.

Hamilton snickered. "If she's having trouble I wonder how you'll do." Paul quickly gave Hamilton the middle finger, to which the other boy snarled.

"You see, Gyarados isn't going to take a Thunderbolt lying down," Wake stated. "Show them, buddy!" Gyarados dove under the water and charged.

Now most Trainers and their Pokémon would sit and swivel their heads, wondering where the Dragon-like Pokémon would pop up. That was a bit too predictable for Haley's tastes. "Jump on in, Luxray!"

The Gym Leader thought she was crazy. "What?!"

"Is she stupid?!" Hamilton cried.

"No, just unpredictable," Paul answered.

Luxray dove into the water, surprising Gyarados into stopping. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon smirked and swam onto his back while he was in his state of shock. When Luxray clung on, Gyarados snapped out of it and proceed to try and shake the feline off. Luxray wouldn't do so without a fight, of course, and that led to Gyarados jumping out of the water. "Thunder Fang!" Haley ordered. Electricity coursed through Luxray's fangs and she bit down, causing Gyarados to roar in pain and then crashing onto one of the platforms, fainted. Luxray, meanwhile, had jumped onto another platform, safe and sound.

"Gyarados is unable to battle, which means Luxray is the winner!"

"What else did you expect?" Luxray asked with a smirk.

Crasher Wake returned his fallen Pokémon. "Thanks, buddy, nice work," he said. "Well, you have guts, I'll say that much," he told his challenger.

"We like to keep people on their toes," Haley responded.

"Good, that's what keeps the battle exciting!" Wake declared. "Now, Quagsire, on the water!"

Seeing as her opponent was half Ground, Haley recalled her victorious Pokémon and switched in her Torterra. "Whoa, this is a little unstable," he noted as he landed on the platform.

"Are you okay, buddy?" Haley asked.

"I'll be good," he assured.

Haley nodded. "Then use Seed Bomb!" Torterra opened his mouth and fired seeds at the Water Fish Pokémon. Quagsire jumped out of the way, only getting a small scratch, and dove into the water. "Fish him out!" Haley ordered. Torterra stomped the platform, and shock waves were sent throughout the pool.

"Wh-wh-what move i-i-i-is that?" Hamilton asked, feeling the shock waves.

"Earthquake," Paul replied calmly.

The shock waves caused violent waves that eventually threw Quagsire out of it and into the air. "Seed Bomb once more!" Torterra fired.

"Counter with Sludge Bomb!" Wake ordered. Quagsire quickly recovered and fired globs of sludge at the seeds, and few even passed them by and hit the Continent Pokémon. Haley grunted. "Now use Ice Beam!"

"Intercept it with Rock Slide!" Haley quickly shouted. Torterra called forth boulders to get in between him and the Ice Beam racing towards him. One of the boulders took the beam and splashed into the water along with the rest of the boulders, sinking to the bottom. Quagsire fell down to dive into the water. "Stop him with Giga Drain!" The energy-sucking vines appeared out of the "mountains" on Torterra's shell and shot out at the Water Fish Pokémon and wrapped around him before he hit the water. "Nice catch! Now drain his energy!" Quagsire cried out as his energy was drained from him.

"Ice Beam once more!" The Gym Leader's Pokémon pooled together enough strength to shoot another cool blue beam at Torterra.

"Seed Bomb!" Torterra let go of Quagsire, causing the beam to go off course, and then fired more seeds at the Water-Ground type. Caught off guard and with nowhere to go, Quagsire had to take the full force of the attack, and because of that he landed on a platform, fainted.

"Quagsire is unable to battle, which means Torterra is the winner!"

"Nice job, Torterra!" Haley congratulated.

Torterra looked back and smiled. "Thanks for the help," he replied.

The Gym Leader recalled his second fallen Pokémon. "Awesome job," he muttered. "Take a good rest." He looked at Haley. "When you said you like to keep people on their toes, you meant it. I'm truly impressed." Haley beamed. "But this is where it gets exciting. My final Pokémon...Floatzel, on the water!" Out popped the Sea Weasel Pokémon with a smirk on its face.

"Hmm...that looks like it's fast," Haley mumbled. "Torterra, return!" Her Pokémon nodded before being beamed back into the Poké Ball. She then began mulling over her options. "Well, I can't use Infernape since he's a Fire type, not to mention he's been in every Gym Battle up to this point. I've used Umbreon for the last two Gyms. Empoleon doesn't have any moves that would work well against a Water type...I guess I could go back to Luxray, but there's no reason why I shouldn't try using Staraptor." She nodded. "Okay, Staraptor, time to shine!" The challenger released the Predator Pokémon, who stretched out her wings and flapped over the pool of water.

"Interesting choice," Wake noted.

"Why a Staraptor?" Hamilton asked.  _She could be testing Floatzel out,_ Paul guessed.  _Or maybe she thinks Staraptor can win._

"Still, I'm curious to see where this goes," the Gym Leader continued. "You may have the first move once more."

Haley nodded. "Aerial Ace!" she ordered. Staraptor charged.

"Block it!" Wake shouted. As Staraptor approached, Floatzel inflated its floatation sac, making it act as a shield. Paul took note of that as Staraptor was pushed back when Floatzel inflated the sac even more.

"That's one tough shield," he mumbled to himself.

Wake laughed. "Floatzel's floatation sac can get big enough to carry a person, you know," he informed. "Not even a Giga Impact could get through this defense."

"That's a big claim to make," Staraptor stated.

Haley, meanwhile, was silent as she thought about her next move. "Close Combat!" she ordered. The Predator Pokémon charged once more and used her wings, beak, and talons to attack Floatzel up close and personal. But the Water type just inflated its sac once more and blocked everything. However Haley noticed it was being pushed back. "Alright, Crasher Wake, let Staraptor and I test that claim of yours!"

That surprised everyone. "She wants to use Giga Impact?" Hamilton questioned.

"But I thought she hated using moves that required a recharge," Paul stated.

Whether she did or not, she was using it now, and her Flying type charged in a cone of purple-and-yellow energy. She collided with Floatzel's sac once more, and the two forces struggled. But Staraptor was determined to debunk the Gym Leader's claim, and because of that she pushed harder. Floatzel flew back, its sac deflated, but it was still on its feet. It let out a low growl and then smirked. "Pushy," he commented.

"He...he speaks," Staraptor joked as she panted.

"Use Bulk Up!" Wake shouted. Floatzel gave off a red aura as he increased his attack and defense. "Now use Ice Fang!"

Haley hitched her breath. "Staraptor, return!" she called out. She beamed her back into the Poké Ball right before the two jagged blue beams hit her. The challenger grunted. "I'm going to have to apologize later for that," she promised herself. "Okay, Luxray, time to shine again!" The Electric type appeared on the platforms once more. Unlike last time, Luxray was not cocky. She could easily see how powerful Floatzel was, and her Electric type attacks weren't quadruple effective this time. "Keep on your toes, Luxray!" Haley advised. "He's really powerful, understand?"

"Right!" Luxray agreed.

"Use Razor Wind!" Floatzel charged, the fins on his arms glowing white, and then he released two crescent-shaped energy disks.

Luxray jumped onto another platform just before the attack hit. Meanwhile, Floatzel dive into the water. Luxray sighed. "And there's no way I'm catching him," she muttered. "Yo, Haley, I need an order!"

"Chill out, I'm thinking!" Haley shouted. She snapped her fingers. "Start charging up! Gather as much electricity as you can!"

"And fire an extremely powerful Thunderbolt when I see him," Luxray finished. "But what happens if he goes underneath the platforms? How the hell am I suppose to see him?"

Haley chuckled. "Come on, Lux, you know better than anyone," she stated. "Just open your eyes a little."

Luxray stared at her and then mentally slapped herself. "How is it my Trainer thought of my natural abilities before I did?" she mumbled. Using her X-ray vision, she scanned the pool for the Sea Weasel Pokémon as she charged electricity throughout her body.

"Razor Wind once more!" Wake ordered. Floatzel fired from his place under the surface, but Luxray had seen it coming. She waited until the very lest second, however, before dodging. Thanks to her X-ray vision, she could see all of Floatzel's movements, but he didn't need to know that.

"Come on, follow the kitty," Luxray taunted under her breath. She knew Floatzel could tell where she was thanks to the ripples the platforms made when she jumped onto them. And as soon as she landed on one Floatzel would fire another Razor Wind, only for her to jump to the next platform.

The Water type was getting frustrated. "I'm getting tired of this," he grumbled. His Trainer apparently thought so as well, because he heard the command to jump out of the water and use Ice Fang. Using his tails as propellers, he swam out of the water and was now airborne...right into Luxray's path.

"Gotcha," she chuckled. Luxray then unleashed a close range super charged Thunderbolt, and Floatzel didn't have the time to inflate his sac to bounce it off. He fell to one of the platforms, and he tried getting back up, only to fall onto his back once more.

"Floatzel is unable to battle! The winner is Luxray! And so the victor is...the challenger, Haley!"

"Yeah, we did it!" Haley cheered. Luxray hopped over the platforms and tackled her Trainer in celebration. The victor laughed and petted her Pokémon's face and forehead.

Wake, who had recalled his fallen Pokémon and had walked over to his victorious challenger, was laughing as well. "That's quite the spirited Pokémon you've got there!" he noted.

The two looked at him, smiling. "That's how I like 'em," she replied. Luxray let her Trainer stand, and then Haley brought Torterra and Staraptor to relish in the victory. "Sorry you didn't get to see much action, Star," Haley apologized.

"It's all good," the Predator Pokémon responded. "Lux hasn't been able to participate in many Gym Battles, and besides, I'm happy that we won."

Haley smiled. "Good, I was afraid you would be angry," Luxray sighed. "You did help weaken him, so thanks for the assistance."

Staraptor smirked. "I got to prove his theory wrong. That's a reward in itself." Then she looked at Haley. "Though I was hoping we could replace Giga Impact," she requested.

"We will," Haley promised. "Giga Impact is not staying."

"I'm surprised it was there at all," Paul pointed out as he and Hamilton walked over.

"I decided to give it a shot. It's just not my style, since those kind of moves are just relying on brute force."

Crasher Wake nodded. "Every Trainer has a different style," he said. "That's one of the reasons why I became a Gym Leader. And styles like yours...how will I say... I want more! I wanted to battle a lot more!" Haley and her Pokémon chuckled. "But I shouldn't complain. I had a great time battling with you! And I say you more than earned the Fen Badge."

The ref held out a tray that had the badge on it. "I still don't understand why it's called the Fen Badge when it looks more like a wave," Hamilton commented as Haley took her prize.

"A fen is a type of wetland," Haley informed him. "You guys do live next to a marsh, which is another type of wetland." Then she laughed. "Though, I guess I shouldn't care. It's a badge, and that means one more step on the way to the top!" Her Pokémon cheered.

Paul smirked. "Shouldn't care, she says," he stated.

"What does that mean?" Haley asked. Paul fished out the Fang Badge. "You were thinking the same thing, don't lie!"

"True, but I also never said I don't care for a little bit of meaning." Haley growled.

Wake laughed. "So Paul, are you ready for our battle tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," the next challenger replied politely and to-the-point.

"You know, the day after is the Croagunk Festival," Hamilton pointed out again, a hint of slyness in his voice. Paul felt his eye twitch. "Would you like to stay-"

"I  _told_ you," Paul hissed, "we have  _places to be_. The answer is  _no_."

"Who asked you?" Hamilton snapped. "You're the no-fun guy. You'd probably just ruin the party, anyway."

Paul's annoyance meter: ultra.

"And I feel that since I was offered the chance to watch a battle, I think it would only be fair to extend the same invitation. Unless..." He chuckled and lowered his voice. "Unless the real reason you don't want me to go is that you think I'll outshine you, and Miss Lovely will decide to ditch you and come with me."

That was it. Paul's annoyance meter shot into maximum overdrive and he snapped. " _You_ outshine  _me_?!" he shouted. "If that Croagunk is the only Pokémon you have, then I don't see  _any_ reason why you would  _ever_ outshine me!"

"Now why is that?" Hamilton questioned.

"Because Croagunk are we-" His mouth snapped shut and covered it with his hand.  _Don't say it out loud, don't say it out loud, don't say it out loud!_ he chanted. He hoped everyone would just drop it, but then he would be asking for too much.

After all, he  _could_ feel the glares.

"Croagunk are what?" Haley egged on in a threatening way.

"I-I didn't say anything," Paul denied, not facing her.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Oh come on, that was an incomplete sentence, Paul. What were you going to say?"

 _Maybe if I word it right, I'll be off the hook,_ Paul reasoned. "Croagunk are...not as strong...as I would like them to be?" he answered, sounding hopeful yet unsure.

Luxray stalked to the front of him and glared. In the past few days she had come to like him again, but she was still very harsh on him. "The truth," she growled.

Paul gulped as he looked into her yellow eyes. "Th-that was-" Luxray violently took a step forward and growled again. "C-Croagunk...are...w...we...weak..." he finally spit out.

There was silence. He then suddenly felt the back collar of his jacket violently grabbed as Haley began to drag him towards the entrance. "Out of  _all_ the places and of  _all_  the Pokémon," she muttered, sounding exasperated.

Paul's annoyance meter: completely depleted.

His suddenly new guilty meter: +1.

"L-look, I didn't mean-"

"You didn't  _mean_ to," Haley interrupted. "Just like how I'm sure you didn't mean to call Chimchar weak, or Pikachu weak, or Maylene, or Azumarill, or I'm pretty sure a mile-long list of people and Pokémon I can name. Paul,  _you_ are going to learn not to use that word, and if I have to do so by force, I will. I wasn't just blowing off steam."

"I... I know," Paul said. "But...where am I even supposed to catch a Croagunk?"

"The Great Marsh," Wake answered. Haley stopped and looked back. The Gym Leader now looked very serious, his mouth in a frown and his eyes stern. "I'll lead you there."

Haley nodded. "Thank you," she stated. The man passed them and motioned to follow. Haley let go of Paul, letting him walk on his own, and walked behind Wake. Paul was behind her, and Hamilton came to his side, smirking.

"She's got you on a leash," he taunted.

Paul breathed out through his nose and glared. "I will-"

" _Paul!_ " He flinched, noticing Haley and Wake had stopped and were looking at them. "Hamilton, you're the local, shouldn't you be a guide as well?" Haley noted. The teen walked up next to Wake, and now Haley was beside Paul. "You've got to learn to just ignore certain things," she scolded.

"I wasn't going to stand there and let him talk to me like that," Paul defended.

"He was trying to get under your skin, and it worked," Haley pointed out. "And now look where you are. Like I said, of  _all_ the places and of  _all_ the Pokémon, you had to pick the one Pokémon this city  _worships_."

"Look, I'm sorry, it slipped out," Paul said. "But you have to understand I can't change overnight."

Haley snorted. "Sometimes I wish that was possible," she mumbled.

Paul became furious. "Well I do too, but things just don't work that way," he hissed. He hadn't meant to get angry with her, but it was clear his emotions were in control today. "No matter how much you want things to change that quickly, they won't. Now, I'm doing exactly what you requested, so will you get off my back!" They stared at each other, Paul's eyes filled with anger, but after a few seconds that emotion disappeared. Both of their eyes widened, Haley because she felt bad, and Paul because he hadn't meant to get so angry. He looked away. "Sorry," he muttered.

"So am I," Haley said quietly. "I... I need to go heal my Pokémon." He nodded slowly, and with one last apologetic look she walked off to the Pokémon Center. Staraptor and Torterra looked at him with understanding before following their Trainer. Luxray, however, shot him one last glare before running after the rest of them, talking with Haley.

He kept walking behind the two locals but never took his eyes off Haley until she disappeared from sight. And when she did he sighed. "I'm a fucking idiot," he whispered. What had it been, two weeks, give or take a few days?  _I'm already screwing this up_ , he thought.

"Hamilton." The Gym Leader's voice snapped Paul out of his thoughts and kept him from getting angsty. "You can go home."

The mentioned teen whipped his head up. "What? Why?" he asked.

Wake stopped walking and stared at him. "Please," he responded calmly.

Hamilton sighed. "Whatevs. See ya tomorrow!"

"You are not-!" But Paul's protests were unheard by the teen who had run off.

"Ignore him," the Gym Leader advised. "He's a good kid, but sometimes he has a tendency to not think before he acts." Wake motioned for Paul to start walking again.

They were close to the Great Marsh when Paul said, "I'm...sorry for what I said back at the Gym."

Wake said nothing, and Paul once again felt Butterfrees. He hated when authority figures were silent; it made them seem like they were beyond pissed. It was one of the many reasons why Paul was glad Reggie never forced him to go to a Trainer's School. He couldn't begin to imagine what a teacher's stare would feel like. "I am disappointed," Wake admitted, breaking the silence. "But," he continued quickly before Paul could shout something out, "I understand. There will always be that one Pokémon or two that people can't help but not like for one reason or another." Then he smiled. "Did you know, when I was a kid, I didn't like Magikarp?"

 _Bullshit!_ Paul thought. Out loud, he replied with, "Please don't try to make me feel better like that."

The Gym Leader laughed. "It's true!" he claimed. "I hated the whiskers, and I also thought all they could do was flop around. But Floatzel, who was a Buizel at the time, showed me that Magikarp are actually very amazing creatures." Paul remembered what his Pokédex had described about the Fish Pokémon, saying that they could jump very high and were very hardy, being able to survive the dirtiest of waters. "Now the only reason I remember that little part of my history is because neither Gyarados nor Floatzel will let me live it down!" he concluding, laughing. "But I am curious as to why you're catching a Croagunk. I became fond of Magikarp, but you seem to have no interest."

"Well..." Paul tried to think of the best way to explain. "Haley and I...about a month or so back, we had a really big fight and we spilt up. But we got back together. She had become lonely and I realized how stupid it was to let her go. She..."  _I love her, she's my only friend_  "...means a lot to me. And she made me promise to not call Pokémon weak since it's a terrible habit I have, and if I ever did I would have to catch it. I guess I could say no, but if she were to leave again because of that..."

Wake hummed. "Well then, we better make sure that doesn't happen, right?" he asked with a smile. Paul nodded.

They made their way into the Great Marsh and boarded the train to take them farther in. Once they got off at their stop, Wake led Paul down a wooden walkway. After a minute or two he stopped and pointed out into the mud, saying that Croagunk gathered out there a little ways away from the walkway. Paul nodded, took off his shoes, socks, belt (since he wasn't allowed to use his Pokémon), and bag, and then took the Safari Balls he had been given. He hopped off, which he realized probably wasn't one of his smarter moves. The mud seeped through his toes slimily, sending a shiver up his spine, and was now a little bit above his ankles. He sighed. "It wasn't as if my pants were going to stay clean anyways," he mumbled. He trudged through the mud and eventually found the Pokémon he was looking for, facing away from him. He inched towards it as quietly as he could. He readied one of the Safari Balls, but as he did the Croagunk turned around. Paul froze, and the two stared at each other for a long time, not saying or moving at all.

" _Croooaaa_...GUNK!" it croaked, breaking the silence, but it still didn't move or take its eyes off of the Trainer.

Paul sighed. "This is ridiculous," he muttered. He threw the Safari Ball, and it beamed Croagunk in. The Ball shook once, twice, three... _CLICK!_ Paul looked at the Safari Ball quizzically. "That was surprisingly easy." He trudged over to the device, picked it up, and trudged on back. Unfortunately, Crasher Wake had forgotten to mention the deep patches, and when Paul was almost back to the walkway, he fell into one, letting out an involuntary cry of surprise as he did. The Trainer now found himself chest high in mud.

The Gym Leader laughed. "Whoops, sorry Paul," he stated. "I forgot about those. My bad." He laughed a little more.

"You won't be laughing once I get out of this mud," Paul threatened, growling, as he squirmed to try and free himself. Suddenly one of his Poké Balls opened up. It was Honchkrow. He noticed Paul struggling in the mud.

"Nothing like this happened in Johto," he told himself as he flew to grab on of Paul's wrists. "I don't know whether to thank Haley for that or yell at her." His talon gripped the left wrist, which wrapped around his ankle. Honchkrow flew up, and after a while Paul was finally lifted out with a wet, disgusting  _SLUUURRRP_ kind of sound. Both Trainer and Pokémon scrunched their faces at the noise, and then Honchkrow dropped Paul onto the walkway. Paul nodded as thanks and then returned him. He then looked at his mud-soaked clothes. He sighed.

"Guess this is karma long coming," he told himself. He put his shoes, socks, and belt into his bag, slipped his half-soaked jacket off, and hung it over his right arm. Then he put his bag on and sighed once more. This was going to be the most uncomfortable trek to a Pokémon Center ever.

...

"So...tell me again why I'm helping you put these into the wash?" Infernape questioned.

Electabuzz huffed. "Because we're not going to force the girls to walk into the bathroom while Paul's taking a shower, Haley is off getting supplies with Luxray and Umbreon, and if you hadn't noticed, I can't reach everything."

"But Ursaring-"

"Would most likely scrape something with his claws. And so would Empoleon and Weavile. Meanwhile, we can't release Croagunk until Paul sends one of us back to Reggie. But you want to know the answer I  _should_  give?"

"What?" Infernape asked as he hopped onto the machine and set it to the right conditions.

"Because I did, deal with it." The ape stuck his tongue out as he closed the lid and hopped back onto the ground. "By the way, is Luxray still upset?"

Infernape sighed. "Yeah. Lux keeps trying to convince Haley to just ditch him, saying we can't trust him."

Electabuzz raised an eyebrow. "Out of all of you to be trying to convince Haley of that, the last one I thought it would be was Luxray," he stated. "I sometimes forgot she wasn't apart of our team."

"You don't know how many times we pointed that out," Infernape replied. "Though I think that's part of the problem. She feels like she got too close and now she feels-"

"Feels  _what_?" a low growl interrupted. It had to be at that time the two parties met in front of the door to their room. Luxray was glaring while Haley and Umbreon were giving Infernape the "Really?" look.

Infernape gave a goofy grin. "Oh come on, he asked, so I explained," he stated.

Luxray glared at him a little longer before stalking into the room. "Way to go, genius," Umbreon muttered.

"Whaaaat?"

"We  _just_ calmed her down. Do you  _know_ how long that took?"

Haley sighed. "Where's Paul?" she asked.

"Taking a shower," Electabuzz explained. "He fell into deep mud, so his jacket and pants are being washed. And he caught a Croagunk by the way. We haven't been able to meet it just yet, though."

The Trainer nodded. "Thanks for helping with the clothes," she said.

"You're very welcome," Infernape boasted.

"Oh stop acting like you didn't complain," Umbreon stated with a smirk. "Because I know you did." Electabuzz sneered as Infernape gave a blank stare. Suddenly they heard a door open, and then there was snarling. The door closed quickly, and Umbreon grumbled. She dashed inside. "Luxray, seriously," the three heard her scold.

Haley sighed and walked up to the bathroom door. "Paul, come on, she's not going to claw your face off," she assured.

"With that snarling, I'm not so sure," he replied.

"Umbreon won't let that happen."

"She should," Luxray grumbled.

"Luxray!" Umbreon shouted.

"If he really wanted to stop calling people and Pokémon weak, he would sooner rather than later," she spat, ignoring her senior. "Face it, Haley, you're being used. He probably finds you just as weak as-"

"Luxray, shut  _UP_!" The four Pokémon looked at Haley, and Paul opened the door again.

"Haley, what's going on?" he asked. She looked at him and then down at the floor. "It...has to do with what I said earlier, doesn't it?"

She didn't answer. "I'm going to check on your clothes," she said quietly before spinning on her heels and running down the hall.

A few moments passed, and then Paul groaned. He leaned his elbow on the wall as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Why can't I just do this right?" he muttered.

Infernape patted his back, and Paul looked at him. "It's not your fault," he assured, shaking his head.

Luxray grunted. "Yeah right, he's just-"

"Shut the fuck up," Infernape told her, staring her down. "He's trying his best, alright? We all know about his past. He can't help what he's become and what he's been used to being for so long. And seeing as how you were practically his best friend, you should know that fact better than anyone."

The feline growled, ready to retort. "Guys," Paul suddenly spoke up. Everyone looked at him. "Can you go help out Haley? I want to talk to Luxray alone." The other three Pokémon looked unsure about leaving Paul alone with the angry Electric type. "Please." With one last look of concern and uncertainty, they left to go help Haley. Paul watched them go, and then walked over to his bed and sat down on the end of it. Luxury's glare never left him once.

"...Well?" she spat when he didn't say anything. Paul didn't move for a little while longer. Then he slowly lifted his hand. Luxray watched as it cautiously moved towards her left ear and then stopped a few inches away.

"Do you still like to be scratched there?" Paul asked.

Luxray eyed the hand. "I...do," she answered, nodding.

"Then...would you mind?" Luxray was a little surprised he asked instead of just doing it anyway. And for that reason she allowed it, although she was still a little angry with him. She watched as the hand slowly disappeared behind her ear, and she felt him gently scratch. It felt...nice. She took a small step forward so she could get more of the feeling. "I really screwed up, didn't I?"

"...Yeah," she replied, nodding again.

He chuckled sadly. "I know you're angry," Paul said. "I'm just as angry, and I'm not lying when I say I want to change. But, unfortunately, changes like those aren't overnight. This is years worth, Luxray, and in ways I kind of forget what I use to be like, what all of us want me to be." He sighed and gave her a tired and sad smile. "I know Haley was hurt by what I said. I didn't realize you had been hurt as well."

Luxray looked at Paul in wonder, and then her eyes watered up. She frowned and clenched her teeth together, hoping they wouldn't fall, as she remembered the day after Haley had left Hearthome City.

XXX

_Everyone had their say on Haley's decision to leave Paul. Staravia, Prinplup, and Grotle understood yet slightly uncertain. Umbreon and Monferno were crushed but knew that it was probably for the best, no matter how much it sucked. Now it was Luxio's turn, and she was absolutely furious. "I should have known!" she spat._

_"Whoa, calm down, Luxio," Prinplup stated. Unfortunately that just made things worse._

_"Calm down, CALM DOWN?!" she repeated. "He probably toyed with us, thinking it would be the most hilarious thing in the world to play nice and then just dump us as if we were nothing!" She swiped at a tree, leaving three deep gashes. "Damn it! I fell for the nice act_ again _!"_

_"What do you mean again?" Monferno asked._

_Luxio glared. "That's none of your business! Why do you even care?"_

_"Because I'm your teammate!" the chimp answered._

_"And that's suppose to mean something?!" Luxio shouted. "Because Paul was doing the same things, because_ my own brother _was doing the same things, and what's the price I pay?! A stab in the back! Now how am I supposed to know none of you will do the same?!"_

_"Because we aren't them!" Monferno shouted. "You can't judge every person based off of two! And Paul just made a mistake!"_

_"A mistake...a MISTAKE?!" Luxio roared. "A mistake is done on_ accident _, and I'm pretty sure throwing Chimchar aside and tossing the Soothe Bell away were not done on accident!"_

_"Come on, guys, stop fighting," Grotle pleaded as the two glared._

_"He's right," Umbreon stated. "Let bygones be bygones."_

_Haley, would had been silent to let her Pokémon speak their minds, ended her silence by saying, "I'm mad, too, Luxio, but there's no reason to take it out on everyone else. Monferno is right, we all care for you. We aren't going to turn our backs on you, now or ever." She stood up from the stump she had been on. "Let's get moving. We haven't covered much ground today."_

_Luxio was slightly surprised at how calm her Trainer was taking all of this. Sure, there was a little anger, but that's all it was. Little. But that night, she realized how much Haley was actually bottling up. Everyone decided to sleep under the stars that night, and while everyone was fast asleep, Luxio was woken up to what sounded like quiet whimpering. She lifted her head and looked around, noticing Haley wasn't in her sleeping bag. Then she heard the whimpering again, and she quickly followed it to its source: her Trainer, leaning against a tree, her head in her hands, crying softly. Luxio quickened her pace. "Haley!" she called out._

_The teen's head snapped up, tears streaming down her face. "L-Luxio," she said quietly, her voice sounding hoarse. The Spark Pokémon jumped into her Trainer's lap. Haley picked her up so their faces were even with each other and then hugged her. Luxio, meanwhile, nuzzled her cheek to comfort her. "What did I do wrong?" she asked as she began to cry again._

**_Mother, I don't understand! Didn't I do everything right? Where did I go wrong?_ **

_Luxio continued to nuzzle Haley as she told her, "You didn't do anything wrong." It was the same advice her mother had given her, but unlike her mother, Luxio didn't reassure Haley of anything. Instead, she began to think,_ This is all Paul's fault! He can't understand a good thing when he sees it! They're the same! He and my brother are the same! I hate them, I hate them, I  _hate_ them!

_She loathed Paul. Who had once been her best friend was now nothing more than a stranger she despised. And whenever Haley was sad because of his absence, Luxio tried to convince her he wasn't worth her energy. For a few days it worked. But a trip through Veilstone City and a talk with Reggie made Haley realize that it was pretty much Paul vs. the world, and it had been that way from the start. Despite being disappointed with him saying what he had towards Maylene, Haley seemed set in trying to help Paul out. Luxray protested it, saying people like him don't change, and she continued to tell herself she loathed Paul._

XXX

But Luxray knew that was a lie. She had begun to miss Paul, and she was always at war with herself when she was distancing herself from him. And when Haley and Umbreon had talked to her while they were out getting supplies, Luxray finally understood the emotion she had been experiencing after Veilstone was fear. She feared Paul would join the wrong crowd, like her brother, and forget all about them, forget about all the times he had smiled and how he had begun to open up. And to mask her fear, she had somehow twisted it into hate and anger. After her talk with the two, Luxray was going to try and make amends. The only reason she had gotten mad at Infernape was because she wanted bygones to be bygones, just like Umbreon advised. But the ape just liked to run his mouth, and so she got...a little...okay, maybe a lot upset. And because of that she became upset at everyone, including Paul, when she didn't want to be. All she wanted...a-all she wanted... "Please don't leave," she whispered. The tears fell, and then she stepped forward quickly, nuzzling Paul's stomach. "Please don't leave!" she cried. "Please try and go back! I don't want to see you end up like my brother!"

Paul, of course, had no idea what Luxray was saying, but he could just tell she wanted him to stay and try to regain his old self. He continued scratching behind her ear and also began to scratch the middle of her back, another one of her favorite places. "I'll try," he promised. "And I definitely won't do anything to make Haley kick me out again, I promise." That was all Luxray needed.

"Yay bonding!" Infernape suddenly exclaimed. The two looked to the door to find Haley and the other three Pokémon had returned, smiles on their faces. Well, Infernape's was more of a stupid grin than a simple smile. But that quickly disappeared when Luxray gave a disapproving face. "Jeez, no need to get sensitive," he muttered.

Luxray sighed. "You're obnoxious," she stated.

"Aw, but that's why everyone loves me!" Infernape defended.

Haley chuckled. "Paul, do you love the fact that Infernape is slightly obnoxious?" she asked.

Paul snorted. "Slightly, she says," he commented.

"Hey!" Infernape cried.

"He's right," Electabuzz said slyly.

"You tend to go a bit overboard sometimes," Umbreon voiced.

"Haley, tell them to stop!"

"Everyone has an opinion, Infernape, and you have to learn to take it. As for mine, I have to agree with Umbreon." Infernape let out a cry of frustration. Haley ignored him and threw Paul's clothes to him.

"Thanks," he stated. Haley smiled. "I...really am I sorry about what I said earlier today. Like I told Crasher Wake, it's a bad habit."

"We're here to help," Haley reminded.

Paul smirked. "Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you."

"Maybe you would have figured it out," she replied.

"Maybe," he agreed. He slipped on his pants over his boxers and threw on his jacket, both of them still warm. "Electabuzz, come on, we have to prepare for tomorrow."

Electabuzz nodded. "Oo, oo, I wanna help!" Infernape offered.

"Please let him, he needs to release all of this energy that I don't understand where it came from," Haley pleaded jokingly.

"Yeah, whatever," Infernape muttered.

Luxray nudged Paul's hand. "May I help?" she asked. He smirked, and she copied it.

"Can Empoleon help as well?" Paul asked. Haley gladly gave him the Poké Ball. "Alright, let's go." Paul and the three Pokémon left.

Haley sighed. "Well, I'm glad we're going in the right direction," she stated. Then she yawned. "And I'm also tired."

"Then get some sleep," Umbreon advised. "Tomorrow's going to be quite the day, I can feel it." Haley nodded and yawned once more.

When Paul was done training and had healed the six Pokémon, the sun had way passed setting. If it weren't for the fact that Haley was in a deep slumber, he knew he would have been chewed out. He quietly got ready and right before he got into bed he looked at his friend. "I won't waste the chance you've given me," he whispered.

And Luxray, who wanted to stay out of her Poké Ball, smiled.

* * *

 

**A/N: This was originally suppose to be just a straight up humor chapter, but sometimes your characters just don't want it to go that way.**


	18. A Tidal Wave of Power

**A/N: So I'd like to thank a good friend of mine for making cover art for this story. Her URL on Tumblr is ugokanai and you should all go check her out (I'll post a link to her url on my bio, as well as a link to my DA page which will also feature her artwork.) I can't thank her enough. She's a wonderful, beautiful person, and I'm not just saying that because she made awesome artwork. She's probably going to kill me for complimenting her this much, but I don't care, because it's true.**

* * *

 

"Alright, the next Pastoria Gym's next battle's about to begin!" The referee pointed to the challenger. "In the blue corner, the challenger Paul from Veilstone City! And in the red corner, the Gym Leader of Pastoria Gym, Crasher Wake! You will each have the use of three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when one of you loses all three of them. In addition, only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokémon."

"Well, Paul," Crasher Wake stated as he threw off his cape. "I hope you remember that my Pokémon were toughened up by stormy white waters. They'll take everything you can throw at them and then pull you under!"

Paul smirked. "We'll see about that," he stated.

"You've got this, Paul!" Luxray cheered.

"Go get them!" the rest of Haley's team shouted.

Hamilton eyed the team. "So, why do you have all of your Pokémon out?" he asked.

Haley smiled. "They wanted to cheer him on," she replied, "and I wasn't going to deny them of their request." What Haley didn't know was that there was one of her Pokémon who had a second reason as to why they wanted to be out of their Poké Ball. And it was bugging Hamilton that this certain Pokémon was sitting in between him and his goal but he didn't dare to say anything.

"Gyarados, on the water!" Crasher Wake shouted.

"Electabuzz, stand by for battle!" Paul called out.

"Why is he using an Electric type when he clearly saw it won't work right away?" Hamilton mumbled. "Someone needs to pay more attention." Haley eyed him but it was so quick he didn't take notice.

"Battle begin!" the ref exclaimed.

Paul smirked. "We'll see who needs to pay more attention," he told himself. "Electabuzz, Screech!" Electabuzz opened his mouth and let out a scream, distorting the air around him and, more importantly, lowering Gyarados' defense. "Go!" Paul's Pokémon began to jump on the platforms over to his opponent.

"Dive, Gyarados!" Wake ordered.

"Use Screech again!" The move caused Gyarados to stop, too affected by the loud noise to go anywhere. "Now use Thunder Punch!" And when Electabuzz connected his move to Gyarados' stomach, the result was something that had not happened in a very long time:

Gyarados fainted in one hit.

Wake was amazed. "Well, I never expected that," he said.

"Alright!" Haley's team cheered. Their Trainer, meanwhile, simply had a smile. And Hamilton? His mouth was hanging wide open.

Paul saw his reaction out of the corner of his eye. He smirked again. "Trying to catch something?" he asked. The other boy snapped his mouth shut and turned away, annoyed. The Pokémon next to him snickered, and he glared. Bad move, because it returned his with an even harsher and scarier one. He flinched and turned his attention back to the battlefield.

"Okay, Paul, you caught me off guard, I'll give you that," Wake confessed after he returned Gyarados. "But let's see if you can do it again. Quagsire, on the water!"

The challenger quickly returned Electabuzz as the Water Fish Pokémon appeared. "Torterra, stand by for battle!" His starter was beamed onto a platform, and just like Haley's, he too found it a little unstable.

"Just keep yourself stable!" the previous challenger advised.

"I've been a Torterra longer than you," Torterra replied with a smile. "I know what I'm doing." The younger Pokémon chuckled.

Neither side moved for a while, and Crasher Wake found this odd. "Well?" the Gym Leader asked.

"Well what?" Paul answered, a small hint of smugness in his voice.

"Aren't you going to go?"

"Why not you?"

Wake smiled. "Very well. Quagsire, use Sludge Bomb!"

"Leaf Storm!" The two attacks collided, and since there were more leaves than seeds, Paul's Torterra got the upper hand when a handful of the leaves bypassed the sludge and hit Quagsire.

"Dive into the water, Quagsire!" the Gym Leader ordered. The Water type jumped in.

Just as planned.

"Frenzy Plant!" Torterra slammed the platform, summoning the thorny vines out of the floor of the pool. So not only did Quagsire take the full force of the powerful Grass type move, but the boulders from the previous day shot out as well and crashed into him. The move also left a few holes in the bottom of the pool.

The Gym Leader acted quickly. "Alston, close the secondary floor!" he instructed the ref as he returned his fallen Pokémon.

"Yes, sir!" Alston pulled out a remote control and pushed one of the buttons, and a temporary floor covered the hole-filled one, cutting the vines in the process.

"So I take it this has happened before?" Paul inquired.

"You bet!" Wake answered. "Sorry. If you were hoping for an advantage by draining the pool, then I'm afraid you're mistaken. See, we don't need the floor collapsing on us because the ground suddenly got drenched."

Paul shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me," he stated. "Because I got the advantage I wanted anyway."

"Huh?"

The challenger pointed at the water. Wake followed his finger and was surprised at what he saw, to which Paul smirked. "Little crowded with the roots and the sand and the rocks, isn't it?"

Haley's team cheered, and Wake stared at the water. Then he laughed. "You and your friend continue to surprise me!" he proclaimed. "Let's see if you have any more, 'cause we still have one battle to go. Floatzel, on the water!" The Gym Leader's final Pokémon appeared, and of course, Paul opted to switch his starter out much like Haley had. Then he pulled out the Ball for his third Pokémon. A Ball decorated in a camouflage pattern. "Wait, that's-"

"Croagunk, stand by for battle!" Paul announced, releasing his newly caught Pokémon.

"He's using it already?" Haley questioned.

"But that's stupid!" Hamilton shouted. "He probably didn't get a chance to train Croagunk!"

"No, he trained last night," the girl reported. Then she turned to the three Pokémon that had trained with him. "How long were you guys out there, anyway?"

"An hour and a half," Luxray answered.

"Give or take an hour," Empoleon continued.

"Or two," Infernape added.

It was most likely give two. Haley growled. " _Paaaauuuul_..."

He chuckled. "It's going to pay off, I assure you," he replied. "And none of them are tired, are they?"

"It's the  _principle_ of the thing!" Haley retorted.

"Can you yell at me later?" Paul asked, and his friend huffed. "I'll take that as 'whatever'. Works for me. Croagunk, use Dark Pulse!" His Poison-Fighting type fired the black and purple beam at Floatzel. In order to get out of the way, out of instinct he jumped into the water, but the thorns on the leftover roots scratched him. He quickly jumped out.

"That stings," he muttered, rubbing his arm. Hearing his Trainer's order to use Bulk Up, he flexed his arms and became surrounded in a red aura. "Alright, ready to go, tough guy?"

" _Croooaaa_...GUNK!"

"...Not much of a talker, are ya?"

"Floatzel, use Ice Fang!" The Water type jumped up and fired the two blue fang-like beams.

"Dodge and then Poison Jab!" Croagunk hopped off the platform it had been standing on and landed on another one. It continued to hop quickly and jumped up towards Floatzel. In defense, the Sea Weasel Pokémon inflated his sac. Croagunk's fist collided with it, and both ended up on different platforms on their feet. "Brick Break!" Croagunk jumped.

"Whirlpool!" Floatzel created a giant vortex of water over his head and threw it at Croagunk. The water collided and sent it into the pool.

Everyone in the stands stood up. "Croagunk!" Haley shouted.

"Come on, you can do it!" the Pokémon encouraged.

"Get out of the water!" Paul ordered. For a while nothing happened, and Paul was getting impatient. "I said get out of the water!" Still nothing. He gritted his teeth. _Stupid fucking piece of-_ There was a sudden white light, catching everyone off guard. A shadow was rising to the surface fast, and Paul's Pokémon jumped out of the water and onto a platform, standing four feet and three inches. "What the-"

"It evolved?" Hamilton questioned.

Toxicroak cracked its shoulders. "That feels better," the Toxic Mouth Pokémon noted. Apparently the evolved form could do more than just croak.

And that gave Haley and her team the chance to finally know what gender Toxicroak was.

Infernape and Empoleon burst into laughter. "Guys, it's not funny!" Haley snapped.

"What?" Paul asked.

"Just keep battling," Haley advised.

Paul was confused but decided to just move on; figuring this out would be better to save for later. "Toxicroak, use Poison Jab!" His newly evolved Pokémon jumped for Floatzel.

"Ice Fang!"

"Counter with Dark Pulse!" The two attacked collided midair, and using the smoke from the collision as cover, Toxicroak made it to Floatzel and connected the Poison Jab using the right hand. "Now use Thunder Punch!"

"Toxicroak knows Thunder Punch?!" Hamilton exclaimed as said moved collided in a nasty left hook. The electricity coursed through Floatzel and he hit the platform, fainted.

"Floatzel is unable to battle!" Alston exclaimed. "The winner is Toxicroak! And so the winner is...the challenger, Paul!"

Haley's team cheered at the victory and they, along with Haley and Hamilton, made their way to the victor. "Weak, huh?" Haley joked. Paul smirked.  _The only reason this one isn't is because it's mine_ , he thought. His friend could tell that's what he was thinking, and she rolled her eyes playfully.

"I do have to admit," Wake stated as he joined everyone, "the fact that Toxicroak knew Thunder Punch was a complete surprise."

That had been a surprise to Paul as well. When he had checked his Pokédex the night before, he was amazed that he had been lucky enough to find a Croagunk with that move. "Yeah, Paul, that was pretty amazing," Haley agreed.

Toxicroak hopped over. "Thank you," the dual type replied.

The two males who had laughed before started up again. "Seriously, why is that fact funny?!" Haley exclaimed.

"What fact?" Paul asked.

"Um, well...how exactly did you catch Croagunk?"

Paul looked at the Toxic Mouth Pokémon. "It kind of just stood there and stared at me, even though it had caught me trying to sneak up on it," he explained.

"Then that means Toxicroak likes you," Wake informed.

"How so?" Haley questioned.

This was only confusing Paul further. "What do you mean by that?"

"Paul... Toxicroak is female."

Silence. Just...silence. Then Infernape and Empoleon laughed even harder. "The reason Toxicroak probably joined was because she  _likes_ him!" Infernape laughed.

"That's not true," Toxicroak defended.

The two boys ignored her. "I wouldn't be surprised about the certain thoughts that were going through her head!" Empoleon laughed.

"EW, Empoleon!" Haley and Umbreon shouted. "That's  _not_ cool!"

Paul was kind of scared to know what they were talking about, but curiosity was getting the better of him. "What isn't?" Haley told him, and the next thing everyone knew Electabuzz was out of his Poké Ball, chasing a scared Infernape and Empoleon around thanks to the orders of his very,  _very_ furious Trainer.

Hamilton snickered. "What a killjoy," he muttered. "It was just a joke." He turned to Haley. "So, I'll ask one more time since I haven't gotten an answer," he said, going back to a normal volume. "Would you like to go to the- Luxray, what are you doing?" Her tail was currently wrapped around his wrist. "Okay...anyway, would you like to go to the festival?" Hamilton never got an answer, because he was suddenly in the air flying straight into the pool. He landed in the water with a loud  _SPLASH_. The three Pokémon who had been running came to a stop right behind Paul and started laughing, and Luxray gave a snicker of her own before hopping over the platforms to where he was. The teen emerged, finding himself face-to-face with a sly-smiling feline.

"Sorry," she purred, shaking her head, "but my Trainer belongs to someone else." Hamilton didn't know what she said, but he clearly got the message and was left completely flabbergasted.

Haley, meanwhile, was totally confused at why Luxray just did that, and her Electric type had been so quiet with her purr she didn't hear what was said. "What's all of this about?" she asked.

Paul smirked. "Well..."

XXX

_Training had ended, and Paul returned everyone. Everyone except Luxray, who jumped out of the way of the beam. "I want to stay out," she said._

_"You want to stay?" Paul repeated unknowingly. She nodded. "Fine. I don't care. Is there something you want to do?" Luxray made a few gestures, and the Trainer pieced it together. "You...want me to talk to you?" Another nod. "What about?"_

_"Anything," Luxray replied, gesturing as such._

_"Anything I want?" She nodded once more. "Well, I'm not really sure about what," Paul admitted. He was more focused on the Gym Battle he would have the next day. But then he remembered that there would be an unwanted guest at the Gym Battle. "Luxray...will you promise not to laugh?" he asked. She tilted her head in confusion but agreed. Paul sat down, and Luxray laid next to him. "I'm...kind of...in love with Haley."_

_Those last four words were so fast Luxray almost didn't catch it. "Really?" she questioned curiously, staring intently at him. Paul looked embarrassed as he nodded, but was surprised to see Luxray beam. He didn't know that Luxray was thinking this would guarantee that he was going to stick by them no matter what._

_"Well, I don't know if you noticed, but Hamilton has been trying to flirt with her," Paul explained. Luxray was already on Paul's side of things. "And he kind of forced himself as a guest to watch the Gym Battle tomorrow. I was hoping you could make sure he gets as little time to do that as possible." The Electric type nodded her head enthusiastically. "And if he tries to invite her to the damn festival, can you do something about that?"_

_Luxray chuckled darkly. "This is going to be fuuuun," she responded._

XXX

"She just didn't like him," Paul stated simply.

Haley still didn't get why that constituted throwing Hamilton into the pool, but she brushed it off as Luxray jumped back and Hamilton swam over. Feeling bad her own Pokémon threw the teen into the pool she helped him up. "Sorry about that," Haley apologized. "And unfortunately I'm going to have to decline. We have places to be and we want to get there as soon as possible."

The rejected boy looked on in shock. "Here, Paul," Wake said, ignoring Hamilton. "You've earned this. The Fen Badge."

Paul took the badge and bowed. "Thank you," he replied. He stood back up straight. "For everything." The Gym Leader grinned.

"Ready to go?" Haley asked. Paul turned to her and nodded. Then the two returned everyone.

"For the record, I let him catch me because I thought he looked like a strong Trainer and I wanted to have a strong Trainer," Toxicroak informed quickly before Paul returned her.

"I believe you," Haley told her.

"Believe what?" Paul's friend relayed the message. "Oh thank God," he breathed before returning his Pokémon.

"Off to get the Relic Badge?" Crasher Wake asked. "Be careful; Fantina and her Ghost types are pretty tough."

Paul knew it was a Ghost type Gym; the Drifblim on top of it made it kind of obvious. But that didn't mean deep down he wasn't just a tad nervous. "Thanks for the warning," Haley responded. "Goodbye, and thank you!" Crasher Wake waved goodbye, Hamilton grumbled dejectedly, and the two teens walked out the door. "Well, that was fun."

"Define fun," Paul stated. Haley chuckled. "By the way, do you know why Luxray was so upset? Besides the obvious."

Haley looked up at the sky. "I don't know," she answered. "She refuses to tell us. All we know is that it has something to do with her brother and that clearly it's a touchy subject. I'm not going to push it. But she kept saying how she didn't want you to turn into him and that she really wishes you'll stay." She looked at him. "You...are staying, right?"

"Of course," Paul replied, sounding a little surprised by her question. "There's only one thing that would keep me from being here, and trust me, that one thing is absolutely impossible."

"How so?"

Paul looked away. "It's...a little personal."

"Oh. Sorry."

"No, it's fine," he assured, shaking his head. "Come on, let's get moving."

The two walked towards Route 212, which would lead them to Hearthome City.

And maybe the thing he thought impossible.

* * *

 

**A/N: So, this chapter was kind of short, I know. But to make it up to you guys, next chapter's a big one. Like, really big. It has backstory. And maybe a few feels. Mostly feels.**


	19. Through the Looking Glass

**A/N: Wow, I did not expect this chapter to be as long as it is. Unfortunately, there's no good place to split it like with a few of my previous chapters. I know some of you hate long chapters, but I just couldn't help it. It just happened.**

* * *

 

They liked walking at night. It was cool, quiet, and refreshing. They  _had_  found a clearing a while back, but they weren't tired or hungry. They could easily squeeze in a few more hours since the night was clear.

Or, at least...you know...it  _was_.

"'Let's keep going,' he said," Haley grumbled. "'The sky is clear and we need to get to Hearthome,' he said."

"Just shut up and keep running," Paul snapped. "We'll find shelter."

"That's what you said five minutes ago!" Haley retorted. "At least  _you_ have a jacket!"

Paul sighed. The clouds had appeared almost seemingly out of nowhere, and a little while later it began to rain. There was no cave or Pokémon Center in sight, and neither of them had tents. And, per her nature, Haley pointed out that the clearing they had found wasn't in the line of the storm. Then (to his good fortune) he noticed something coming into view. "I think I see a gate up ahead," he stated.

Haley noticed it, too. "Shelter!" she exclaimed as they ran up to the old fashion-looking gate. They finally found themselves under it and were catching their breath. Haley undid her bandana and rung it out. "Ugh, this won't be comfortable to wear for a while," she mumbled. She shook it out and threw it in her backpack. She was about to put it on her back when she noticed Paul staring at her. "What? Is something wrong?"

He blinked and then cleared his throat. "You...um...might want to change your shirt," he answered, a light shade of pink on his face.

The girl looked down. Her white shirt was completely soaked...and therefore was completely see-through. Her faced flushed. "Turn around!" she panicked, and Paul quickly obeyed. He heard Haley fumble through her backpack for her red t-shirt. "I don't know whether to be grateful or embarrassed," he heard her squeak. He smiled triumphantly, not being able to stop himself from thinking about what he had just seen, but was violently jolted out of it when he found himself face first in the grass on the opposite side of the gate. "Oh go play in the...rain?" Paul picked himself up, wondering why she sounded confused until he looked around.

"It's not raining?" He turned around, as did Haley, and noticed that on the other side it still was. He stood up. "What the hell?"

"This is weird," Haley stated. "And yet, I'd rather stay out of the rain." She walked to Paul's side. "So what now?"

"Well, I guess we just keep looking for a Pokémon Center," he reasoned. "For all we know the rain will come over here soon." His friend nodded, and they began walking again.

A few minutes passed, and there was still no Pokémon Center to be found. Haley yawned. "Paul, let's just," she paused to yawn again, "find some place to sleep out here."

"I think we'll find one soon," Paul insisted.

Haley rubbed her eyes. "No, I'm exhausted. I can't..." She yawned once more, and began to sway. She then began to fall forward, as if she were fainting.

"Haley!" Paul shouted as he caught her. He looked at her; she was sleeping soundly. A wave of tiredness crashed over him. He started blinking quickly. He was trying to keep the sleep away but it just kept coming back. Now  _he_ was swaying, and just before his eyes closed he swore he saw a purple light. Taken over by sleep, he, Haley still in his arms, collapsed onto the ground.

...

Paul woke up, and when he blinked away sleep sat up with urgency, confused. It was now day, somewhere close to noon, he guessed, and he was...in a field with short grass? Wasn't it tall grass last night? And... "Haley?" he asked. But she wasn't there. He knew she had fallen asleep and almost collapsed, so then where was she?

"Paul!" he heard. It was a voice he knew, but it wasn't Haley. He heard the person walk up to him.

"What are you doing here, Reggie?" he asked, sounding annoyed and confused at the same time.

His older brother laughed. "Aw, come on, that's no way to say hi!" he joked and ruffled Paul's hair.

"Yeah, yeah," the younger brother replied and stood up. "Anyway, can you answer my question?"

"I had to deliver a Pokémon to a client and I was traveling this way when I noticed you just sitting there," Reggie explained. Paul nodded, and noticed that Reggie began looking around. "Hey, where's Haley? I thought you two were traveling together again?"

"You know just as much as me," Paul answered. "We fell asleep last night, and when I woke up she wasn't there."

Reggie went into deep thought. "Well, let's go looking for her," he finally said. "I'll help."

"Whatever floats your boat," Paul said, trying hard not to show his worry. The two brothers began walking, not exactly sure if they were going the right way but figured it was better than just standing around. Paul noted, while they walked, that Reggie was strangely quiet. Normally his brother would ask what he had been doing and what badge he was going for next and all of that. It kind of got on Paul's nerves, and sometimes he wished Reggie didn't talk as much as he did, but now that it was happening it was really odd. Still, he liked it a little since it helped him focus on looking around hoping to see a red blob in the distance. And eventually he  _did_ see a colored blob, but it definitely wasn't red. He squinted his eyes, focusing on it, and as they got closer his eyes widened. He stopped.

"Hmm?" Reggie, who had been looking in another direction, noticed Paul was no longer walking. "Did you see something?" Paul didn't answer with words. Instead, he slowly pointed to the person he had been focusing on. His older brother followed his finger, and his eyes widened as well.

The person in front of them was a young woman. She had flawless skin, like she was some sort of angel. She wore a loose white long sleeve shirt, a long gray skirt (both of them flowing in the gentle breeze), and gray flats. The woman had beautiful light gray eyes and a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts. Her long, silky hair was a light blonde that, thanks to the warm rays of the sun, made it look like she was wearing a halo.

Paul had never met this woman.

But he knew exactly who she was.

"Reggie, I'm so glad to see you again," she said, her voice clear and producing a sound so amazingly beautiful it took Paul's breath away. "And Paul... I'm so glad to see you as well. I wish it hadn't taken so long for you to meet me. I was afraid for your well being, but I shouldn't have. Your brother did a splendid job, I can tell."

That broke him. "M...M..." Tears rolled down his face, and he ran full speed. "MOM!" He enveloped her in a hug, to which she gently returned.  _She's...she's so warm..._

"It's okay, dear," his mother comforted as he cried. She gently rubbed his back. "I'm here for you."

Paul looked up at her. "You're...you're just like Reggie said," he whispered. He felt her thumb smoothly wipe the tears off his face. "But...but I thought..."

"Mom," Reggie said, walking up. "How are you here?"

The woman looked at her oldest and then her youngest. "I should have known Fredric would lie," she said sadly. "I didn't die like you were told, but rather he chased me off."

"Tch,  _of course_  he would," Paul replied coldly as he looked to the side ad his hands in his pockets, going back to his old self.  _Reggie's never going to let me live this down_ , he thought. And yet, a part of him didn't care.

"I can never understand that uncle of yours," his mom stated.

Paul's head snapped back to look at her again. "U-Uncle?" he repeated.

The woman sighed. "He promised he wouldn't..."

"He's not my father?" Paul asked. "I'm not a Zuckerman?"

"You are," she replied, "but not Fredric's. That is your father's brother."

The fifteen-year-old couldn't believe it. It was like a dream come true. His mother was most certainly  _not_ dead, he  _wasn't_ the heir to a big corporation, and he had a father that clearly his mother liked, since she was smiling very big and her eyes were shining. "So then where is...where is..."

"Lizzy!" a deep yet soothing voice called. The woman turned her head and smiled. Paul looked in the direction she was and was met with a man who looked very familiar, but he couldn't quite explain why. The man was in a ragged brown trench coat. Underneath it he had a gray shirt and he wore gray jeans that were worn out at the bottom, and on his feet he had worn out brown shoes. His hair was dark lavender, much like Reggie's. And he had violet eyes that clearly showed he was a traveler, one who had seen sights beyond imagination. Paul almost thought  _he_ was an imagination, but here he was. His...his...

His  _father_.

"Carlos, what took you so long?" Elizabeth joked, lightly punching her husband's shoulder.

 _Carlos_. That was his name. Paul watched as the man laughed. "You ran like the wind, and at the time I didn't know why." Then he looked at Paul and smiled. The teen's heart skipped a beat. "But now I do, and if I had paid enough attention I would have been running with you instead of walking." He laughed again, and ruffled Paul's hair. "So this is our youngest, huh? Look at you, a traveler just like me. I'm proud of you, son."

 _Son_. This man had called Paul his  _son_. He hugged his newfound father, taking in his scent. He smelled like earth and pine trees, and he loved every second of it. He no longer cared that for the longest time he and Reggie had been lied to; all he cared about was that he had his family right here, surrounding him. All he cared about was that his father was a traveler and not a businessman. This...this was all so amazing. It was everything he wished for. But something was missing. Something definitely was... He quickly pulled away. "Haley!" he realized.

"Who?" Lizzy asked.

"A good friend of mine," Paul explained. "We're traveling together, and somehow she and I got separated. Reggie and I were looking for her before we ran into you two. I hope she's alright..."

"Don't worry, Paul," Carlos stated, his hand resting on his shoulder. "We'll look for her together."

 _Together_. As a _family_. Paul smiled like he hadn't in years. Like he was ten years old again, before Reggie lost that battle, before he begun traveling around Kanto. "Right," he agreed. Then he thought of an idea. "Honchkrow!" he shouted. He released his Dark-Flying type from his Poké Ball. He stretched his wings.

"Good idea," Reggie said. "Staraptor, you help as well!" Paul turned in surprise as Reggie brought out the Predator Pokémon. His older brother didn't carry his Pokémon on him anymore, not after he quit being a Trainer and focused solely on breeding. So why... Reggie noted Paul staring at him. "Something wrong?" he asked.

Paul looked away. "No, don't worry about it," he replied.

"I'll bring out my own Flying type," his father stated. "Fearow, we need your help!" It was just a normal Fearow, nothing special, but Paul looked at it like Carlos had just released Ho-oh. His father...his  _real_ father didn't forbid Pokémon, because he was a Trainer too.

"Togetic, the boys need a hand!" Elizabeth shouted. His mother trained Pokémon, too?! No one told him that! But the Happiness Pokémon fit his mother so well, and so he smiled at what he would usually consider a weak Pokémon. Because to him, at this moment, with this Togetic, strength didn't matter.

"Honchkrow, we need to find Haley," he explained to his Pokémon. "Tell the others what she looks like and then go try and find her. Oh, but she's wearing her red shirt today." Honchkrow nodded and obeyed, and soon the Flying types scattered. Now there were sixteen eyes, eight of them being in the sky. Haley would be found in no time.

"Well, shall we get going?" Carlos offered. "We won't find her just standing around, and I would like to meet this friend of yours." Paul smiled and nodded, and the four began walking through the fields. As they did, his parents played catch up. Normally Paul would find this incredibly annoying, but he just couldn't make himself even  _think_ of such a thing. He told them everything, or at least what he thought was important. He made them laugh, he made them smile, he made them feel proud, he made them sad, but overall, he made them happy. And because they were happy, he was happy. Then he noticed his father was looking into the distance. "I think I see someone," he said. "And...hey, Lizzy, that's Togetic!"

Paul looked on. There she was, Togetic flying near her. "Togetic, over here!" his mother shouted as she waved.

Togetic flew over to the family, with Haley close behind. Paul ran up to her and gave her a hug. "Thank goodness," he whispered. "I was worried." He pulled her away so he could look at her. "Where did you go?"

"I thought you were the one who walked off," Haley replied. "I woke up and looked around, but I couldn't find you. I don't even know where this place is. I tried checking my Pokégear because this place doesn't look familiar at all, but the thing's busted." She sighed. "I'm going to have to send it in for repairs when we  _finally_ find a Pokémon Center." Then she noticed the other three. "Oh, hey Reggie," she greeted. Reggie smiled and waved. "He's not talkative today," Haley noted.

Paul shrugged. "One of those days, I guess," he replied. "Come on, though. You have to meet my parents!"

Haley looked a little taken back by her friend's sudden bouncy nature. "S-sure," she said. "I mean, I have to thank someone for sending Togetic to find me, and I highly doubt that it's yours." Paul laughed and led her over. "It's very nice to meet both of you," Haley told them. "My name is-"

"Haley Paige Sedai," Carlos interrupted. "Yes, I've seen you before. You're the three-time Pokémon Elite Four Run Champion."

"Oh wow, Paul, you met a really strong Trainer," Elizabeth noted.

"Not just strong, Mom. She's really nice, too." Haley blushed at Paul's compliment. "Anyway, this is my dad, Carlos, and my mom Elizabeth. But some people call her Lizzy."

"You're Togetic's Trainer, right?" Haley asked. Elizabeth nodded. "Well, thank you very much. I don't know how long it would have taken me to find Paul or how long I would have been wondering around lost if it didn't find me."

Paul looked at her. "Did you think of using Staraptor?" he asked.

The girl blinked. "Damn it!" she cried. The family laughed, and soon Haley was laughing too. "Well, like I said, it's really nice to meet you," she said after collecting herself. She held out her right hand.

"And you as well," Carlos replied, grabbing her hand. Haley suddenly gasped.

"Are you okay?" Paul asked.

Haley eyed him. "Um...yeah...I was just wondering if you sent Honchkrow, and I got scared thinking he might not..." She looked past Carlos. "Oh, never mind. Here he comes. Along with a Fearow and a Staraptor." The family turned to notice the three birds approaching them. They waited until all of the Flying types gathered, and Honchkrow tackled Haley. "Ah, Honchkrow!" she shouted, laughing. "I'm fine, I'm okay, I wasn't going anywhere!" She laughed some more and the Big Boss Pokémon let her stand up again. Then she stretched her right hand out again so she could shake Elizabeth's hand. The woman smiled and grabbed it. Hands unlocked, and then Haley turned to Paul. "Hey, is it okay if we talk privately?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"It's just about travel plans, and I guess I'm a little uncomfortable," she explained.

Paul nodded. "Is that okay with you guys?"

"Of course, son, take as long as you need," Carlos replied.

Another nod, and the two (plus Honchkrow) walked out of earshot. "This isn't about travel plans, is it?" Paul guessed.

Haley bit her lip. "Paul, something's not right," she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it," Haley said. "We walked through that gate, and on the other side there was no rain, not even mist. Then as we walked along, we started getting really tired, and then there was a flash of purple light. And when we wake up, we're separated. Now unless either of us can walk that far apart from each other in our sleep, I say something's up. And...and when I touched their hands...they felt stone cold, like they were dead."

"Funny, Mom felt warm to me. But looking past that, are you seriously suggesting my parents are the living dead?" Paul asked, sounding skeptical.

"No...more like this is a dream."

"You  _touched_ them, Haley," he pointed out. " _I_ touched them. And we can't be having the same dream. I don't believe you."

"Do you think I want to believe myself?" Paul looked at her, confused. Then he noticed tears were forming in her eyes. "I haven't seen you this happy... _ever_. Not even after I came back. Do you think I don't want all of this to be real if it makes you that happy? But at the same time...with everything that led up to this, and how it just all seems to be too good, I can't help but question it, Paul. I don't  _want_ to, because when you're happy so am I, and I just...I just..." She brought her hands close to her chest, closed her eyes, and looked away, unable to look Paul in the eye as tears ran down her face.

Paul couldn't bring himself to believe that this was a dream. Haley was right, though, on some points, and he knew she wouldn't lie to him like this. He hugged her, pulling her as close to him as possible. "I get it," he whispered. "But I can't believe that this isn't real."

"I know," she whimpered.

"What's wrong, dear?" Paul looked to see his mother had walked over to them.

"Apparently she was more scared about being separated than we thought," he lied.

Elizabeth gave a warm smile. "It's okay, honey," she assured, coming over and rubbing her back.

Haley moved even closer to Paul, if that was possible. "Her touch is cold," she whispered so quietly Paul barely heard it. "But I appreciate the gesture." He smiled. At least she was trying.

After Haley calmed down, Carlos asked for a battle with her, and she agreed (after getting over slight shock at the sudden request). She sent out Empoleon, who hadn't seen much action lately, and Carlos whistled. "That's quite the Empoleon you've got there," he complimented.

"Even he knows how awesome I am," Empoleon boasted.

"No one cares," Honchkrow replied, unimpressed.

"Nidoking, stand by!" Paul couldn't help but smile at the phrase as his father released the Drill Pokémon. And yet he didn't understand why he sent out Nidoking.  _Poison type attacks won't work, and being half Ground is a major disadvantage._ "Haley, would you like to go first?" Carlos asked.

"If that's okay by you," she responded. Carlos nodded. "Okay then. Empoleon, let's start this party with Bubblebeam!"

"Sludge Bomb!" The two projectiles collided.

"Use Surf, but keep that Bubblebeam going!" Empoleon created a giant wave as he continued to counter Sludge Bomb.

Carlos smirked. "Break that wave with Earthquake!" His Pokémon stomped the ground, causing shock waves to course through the ground. The shaking split the wave and made Empoleon stop firing out of shock. "Now use Brick Break!" Nidoking jumped at the Water-Steel type and slammed his fist into him, making Empoleon crash to the ground.

"Empoleon!" Haley cried.

The Emperor Pokémon slowly picked himself up. "Don't worry," he assured. "I still have fight in me. But...I have a bad feeling about this Nidoking. He...he felt stone cold."

Haley blinked. "Really..." she whispered.

"I'm serious," he stated. "And have you noticed...he hasn't said a word. He hasn't even roared. It's like he's a puppet or something."

He heard his Trainer hum in thought. "Empoleon, Ice Beam!" she ordered.

Empoleon was surprised she hadn't reacted in anyway. But right now it wasn't important. "Got it!" he shouted. He fired the Ice Beam, but once again his projectile was countered with Sludge Bomb. Nidoking created another Earthquake, causing Empoleon to lose his balance, and then he charged with Brick Break once more. But he stopped his fist inches away from his face. The Drill Pokémon stood up straight, his arm ceasing to glow.

"I believe we're done, young lady," Carlos stated, smiling. "You're a good Trainer, don't get me wrong, but I have been at this for many more years than you have, and I've had Nidoking since he was a Nidoran."

"Well, thank you for that battle," Haley replied. "To battle someone like you is truly amazing." She walked up to Empoleon and Carlos returned Nidoking. Haley dug through her backpack to get a Sitrus Berry. "Are you absolutely serious about everything you said?" she whispered.

Empoleon looked at her. "Y-yeah," he said. He bit a little of the berry. "I figured you thought it was unimportant."

"I just don't want them thinking we believe something is wrong here," Haley informed, her eyes motioning towards the family, where Elizabeth was congratulating her husband. "When you said Nidoking felt stone cold, it reminded me of Carlos and Elizabeth's touch. And when you said he hadn't said a word, it reminded me of Elizabeth's Togetic. It hadn't said a word either. The only reason I was standing there when those four found me was because I was trying to figure it out."

"Are you going to tell Paul?"

"Look at him." He did, and he was extremely surprised. Paul was talking enthusiastically to Carlos about the battle that had just happened. He recalled Ash after Haley's win at the Oreburgh Gym; that was exactly how Paul was acting. "I've never seen him so happy before," Haley continued. "I tried proposing this was a dream earlier, and I could see his heart already starting to break. I  _can't_ say anything, Empoleon, no matter how much I want to. Because let's say this  _is_ a dream. It makes him happy, and I can't take that away without proof. Now let's go into another scenario, say this is  _Paul's_ dream. What if this place is controlled by his emotions? If I accuse his family again, we could end up facing a thunderstorm. Or say this  _isn't_ a dream. That would mean things would be really awkward, and Paul would also be extremely mad at me."

"So...what do we do?"

"We wait, Empoleon. And we hope we aren't too late."

"Come on, Haley, what's the hold up?" Paul asked as he ran up, a grin on his face. A  ** _grin_** on his face _._  The two thought of pinching themselves.

"It's just... Empoleon took a bit of a beating," Haley explained.

Paul nodded. "But he's also really strong. And he battled really well, too." Now the two were considering if an imposter had replaced Paul. Paul had just  _complimented_ Empoleon. Okay...to be fair, he had done so before, but that was only  _after_  Haley did, and it was at best a "yeah, you did good". "He's been through worse. I've seen it. You can shake it off, right buddy?"

The two were flabbergasted.  _Buddy_? Had Paul just said... _buddy_? "R-right," Empoleon replied, and he stood up.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Paul asked with enthusiasm. "I invited my family to come to Hearthome with us so they can watch you and I battle. I told them you would blow them away."

"O-okay," Haley said.

"Actually, before we move on," Reggie piped up. Paul turned to notice his brother and parents approaching them. "How about you battle me, Paul?" The younger sibling's eyes widened.

"Hold on, I thought you stopped being a Trainer," Haley pointed out.

"I've been thinking about it," Reggie admitted, "and I think it's time I came back onto the battling scene. And I know you've always wanted to battle me, right Paul? Why not be my first battle after five years?"

The only sound at the moment was the wind against the grass. Then Paul's face, which had been in shock, grew back into that wide grin he had been wearing, and his eyes gleamed. "Of course!" he exclaimed.

Haley couldn't share her friend's enthusiasm. Something was eating at her, something she had heard a few days ago. But at the same time she couldn't remember exactly what it was. "...can't remember..." she muttered out loud.

Paul turned to her. "Can't remember what?" he asked.

She looked at him and then laughed nervously. "Nothing, just me and my ramblings," she claimed. "I feel like I forgot something but I just don't know what. It's probably nothing important." She laughed again and then cleared her throat. "Well, are you going to start that battle or what?"

The boy smiled and nodded. "Wish me luck," he stated. Haley was taken a little bit aback by that, but just nodded.

Haley sat on the sidelines next to Elizabeth, and she would have liked to say she was paying attention to the battle, but then she would be lying. Everything about all of this was...unsettling. She just couldn't get everything that seemed odd out of her head. Suddenly felt a gentle yet icy cold hand on her knee. "Are you okay, dear?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, just think...think...th-th-th-" Haley was now shivering like crazy, as if winter had decided to come early.

Paul took notice to this. "Haley?" Reggie stopped and turned to the freezing girl. The battle momentarily paused as Paul walked over to her. "Are you cold?" All she could do was nod as her teeth were chattering uncontrollably and she was rubbing her arms for warmth. Paul took off his jacket, hung it over her shoulders, and took over rubbing her arms. The chattering slowed. "Better?"

"...A-a little," Haley replied. She stood up. "I'm g-gonna go on a w-walk. Get m-my blood flowing, y-you know?" Paul nodded. "S-sorry. I d-didn't mean to interrupt your b-battle."

He looked up at her. "Don't worry about it," Paul said with a smile. And it was so warm Haley couldn't help but smile as well.

"...Smile more," she whispered before putting the purple jacket on completely and walking away.

Paul stood up and watched her go. He frowned in confusion. "It's not that cold," he muttered to himself. But Haley had been shaking so violently and her face had begun to pale.  _They felt stone cold_ , she had told him.  _Okay, let's say she's right,_ Paul thought.  _No one's touch can make you feel like you were just locked up in a freezer. What the hell is-_ His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a bloodcurdling scream. Haley. And he knew she only screamed like that when she was up in the air. Sure enough, just as his family started sprinting towards her voice, they saw the Ore Family in that machine of theirs and Haley in a cage. Her face was full of panic, and Paul didn't have the necessary Pokémon to repeat the previous performance. "Honchkrow, try to calm her down and tell her to get Infernape out!" Paul ordered quickly. Honchkrow nodded and flew as fast as he could.

"Haley!" he squawked. She looked at him as he flapped in front of her. "Get Infernape out! He'll help you escape!" She continued to look at him, eyes wide. The Big Boss Pokémon wondered why she wasn't doing anything, but at least she wasn't screaming bloody murder.

"Listen to Honchkrow, Haley!" Paul shouted. "It's the third Poké Ball on your belt! Come on, you can do it!"

The fear-filled Trainer finally moved her shaky right hand to her belt and released Infernape. He opened his eyes, and then yawned. "Oh, morning Honchkrow," he said sleepily and unaware.

"Wake up, you idiot!" Honchkrow yelled. "You and Haley are trapped!"

"We...are?" He turned his head and noticed Haley's family. That woke him up. "Ugh, these guys again!" He unleashed a Flamethrower on the bars, melting them a bit, and then snapped a few of them off. He grabbed his Trainer. "Haley, just close your eyes, everything will be fine."

She looked at him. "What...did you say?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I...oh, forget it," Infernape mumbled. His Trainer was probably so out of it she wouldn't register anything until the grass was below their feet. He jumped, holding Haley tightly. Honchkrow grabbed his other wrist.

"You...urk...are one heavy...mph...Pokémon," Honchkrow complained.

"I take that as a compliment, since muscle makes you weigh more than fat," the Flame Pokémon replied calmly, making him sound smug.

The Flying type scowled. "All of you...are so damn...smug it's...disgusting," he huffed. He finally touched down, resting his wings.

"Electabuzz, Thunder!" Paul ordered, glad he had used his Electric type to battle Reggie. Electabuzz shot out a lightning bolt, which hit the machine and sent the Ore Family flying.

"What a bad feeling!" they cried as they disappeared into the distance with a twinkle.

 _Morons,_ Paul scoffed. "You all right?" he asked. Haley nodded slowly.

"Good to hear...er, see," Infernape stated. She turned to him and he smiled.

But she didn't. She was giving him the same wide-eyed expression she had since Honchkrow had started talking to her. "What...did you say?" she repeated.

Infernape's smile dropped, and the other three Pokémon looked confused. Last time she had recovered so quickly, so what was different about this time? "I said I'm glad to see you're all right," Infernape stated.

Haley looked at her Sinnoh starter like he was an alien. Then she looked at Paul. "Paul, s-something's wrong," she choked out. She gulped. "I...I didn't understand a word Infernape said."

There was a deadly silence. "What?" all five boys questioned.

"It was just chatter," she explained, fear quickly rising. "And it was the same with Honchkrow. But that wasn't happeningearliertodayIdon'tunderstandwhat's-"

"Haley, calm down!" Paul told her, raising his voice over her panicking. He remembered a trick Reggie used on him when he was younger. Of course, it was for the exact opposite reason; rather than trying to re-hear something, Reggie would use the trick to make Paul no longer hear certain voices. But he figured if he phrased his words correctly, it would work anyway. "Maybe your ears are tired."

"Tired? That doesn't make any sense."

Paul shrugged. "You don't know that," he replied. "So let's say for the sake of argument they do. That they need rest. And in order for them to rest, I need you to relax." Haley gave him a very confused look, but relaxed her body anyway. Then Paul cupped his hands over her ears, and she jumped a tiny bit from the sudden action. "Just relax," Paul repeated, though to her it was a little muffled. She, closed her eyes, her shoulders dropped, and she slowed her breaths. They stood there as the wind gently rolled on by. After a while Paul gently removed his hands, and Haley slowly opened her eyes. "Now try," he said.

Haley looked at Infernape nervously. "Uh..." he said stupidly. Then he laughed, equally as nervous. For all he knew she wouldn't understand a word he said, and to her he would just be chattering away and making really weird gestures. "Well, I guess since you didn't hear me when Honchkrow was lowering us down, I'll explain. Honchkrow was complaining that I'm too heavy, but of course that just means I'm stronger than him 'cause I've got more muscle."

"I've also got the type advantage, you damn ape," Honchkrow grumbled. Infernape just laughed it off. And after a few seconds, so did Haley. Honchkrow dropped his annoyed attitude and smiled with the other four boys. But that didn't stop them all from thinking,  _Why did that even happen?_  Paul then noticed something. For her, this day had been a living nightmare and yet he was living the dream. Was it because she was skeptical? But even if she was, that didn't seem fair. Or logical. And besides, this was reality...right?

"Honey, I'm so sorry," Elizabeth soothed. "If we had known, we would have gone with you." She walked up to Haley and reached for her shoulder to comfort her. "Don't worry, we won't let anything-" Haley backed away. "Dear, what's wrong?"

"Infernape...can you let Elizabeth touch you?" Haley asked.

The Flame Pokémon looked really. "Sure?" he said yet asked. He walked up to Elizabeth and pointed to his shoulder. Elizabeth looked at it, and did as he requested. And when she did he yelped in pain and jumped back. "Fuck!" he shouted, blowing a very weak Flamethrower over his shoulder. "Man, who is this woman, the Ice Queen?!"

"Wh-what happened?" Paul asked.

"Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks your mom has a cold touch," Haley responded, sounding deadpan, though Paul could hear the hint of sadness.

"Cold touch?" Elizabeth repeated.

"You and Carlos," Haley stated. Her eyes narrowed. "And that's not the only thing that's been weird since I woke up. Any Pokémon that belong to you, your husband, or Reggie doesn't speak. Not even a growl or a roar or anything when they left their Poké Balls."

Electabuzz looked lost in thought. "Yeah, she's right," he agreed, surprised.

"I didn't notice it when the other three Flying types came out," Honchkrow added, "but now that you mention it, that's true."

Paul looked at his Pokémon, noticing they seemed to agree. Empoleon looked at him and nodded. So the Pokémon were puppets? But...that didn't make any sense. Unless this was a-  _No! It's not a dream!_ Paul tried convincing himself. He didn't want all of this to go away...and yet, facts were starting to be laid down in front of him. "And speaking of Reggie," Haley continued, "when I was on my walk, I remembered something. I was about to rush back but my 'family' decided to have a little fun with me." She gave the elder brother a cold, hard stare. "But don't think I forgot about it, imposter."

"Imposter?!" Reggie repeated.

"Now I'm not going to point out your lack of talking today since we all have days like that," Haley stated, ignoring his outburst. "But what I won't look over is this 'return' of yours. You and I had a conversation about this five days ago."

"We...did?"

"When Paul and I were in Pastoria, we talked over the video phone. How you forgot is beyond me, but that's not the point here. What  _is_ the point is that somehow we talked about if you would ever come back as a Trainer. You did say maybe, but not for at least,  _at LEAST_ five years. If you said five weeks,  _maybe_  I would believe you decided to come back early, but not five years." She pointed at Reggie. "I don't know who you people are, but you better stop this right now or leave!"

Elizabeth walked up to Haley again, and both she and Paul saw a look on her they thought they would never see: a cold, hard stare equal to Haley's. "Or maybe you're the one who needs to leave," she said darkly.

"Wh-what?" Haley didn't get a verbal reply. Instead, she was backhanded across the face, and somehow was flung at least 10 feet.

"HALEY!" her Pokémon cried as they ran over to check on their Trainer.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Paul asked. He was still trying to convince himself this wasn't a dream, but it was getting harder and harder to do so.

"Dear, she's just saying all of that because she's jealous," his mother replied, going back to a softer voice.

" _Jealous_?!" Haley spat, slowly sitting up and rubbing her cheek. "I would  _never_ be jealous of Paul being happy. Envious that his day is going wonderful, maybe, but not _jealous_. I am pointing out that something is  _wrong_ here because I don't want him getting hurt. He's my  _friend_!"

"Then apparently my son needs to get new friends," Elizabeth replied coldly.

No... Paul refused to have Haley leave again. He stared his family down. He had a plan to prove everything once and for all...he just hoped he was stable enough to take whatever result. "Reggie," he said. His brother looked at him. "What's the worst thing I've ever done?"

Reggie looked confused at the random question, but brushed it off to think. "Um... I think it was when you broke the stove," he answered.

...

...

"I'm sorry, 'Reggie', but I'm afraid you're wrong."

"What?"

"And I'm incredibly disappointed to say it's on two fronts," Paul hissed, obviously not meaning it. How could...whoever these people were just...just play with his emotions like this? "First off, it was the oven I broke. You and I both remember it because not only was that the day I learned the difference between an oven and a stove, but I also freaked out because it was one week from my birthday and I feared I wouldn't be getting a homemade cake that year. And number two, which I hoped would be the only thing wrong with your answer, is that breaking the oven  _isn't_ the worst thing I've done." Paul gritted his teeth. "If you were really Reggie, you would have answered that question with your stupid lopsided grin that absolutely annoys me and replied, 'Not calling home often enough?' as you shrugged, sounding slightly unsure. I would then tell you to stop being an idiot, and then you would answer with the time I attacked Torterra when he was still a Turtwig, all for the sake of saving my own ass!" All three of his 'family members' were taken aback. "Haley's right. Whoever you are, leave! NOW! Before I lose my patience!" With one last glare he and his Pokémon ran up to Haley. "Are you all right?"

Haley nodded. "I'm really sorry, Paul," she whispered.

He shook his head. "No, I should apologize for not believing you," he stated. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Come on, let's get out of here." Haley and the four Pokémon nodded, and they began to run.

"You aren't going anywhere," a voice rang through the air. It sounded a little like Elizabeth, but it also had a haunting vibe to it. The group stopped and dared to turn. They noticed that not only was Elizabeth suddenly alone, but her face and the sky were now darkened. "All you had to do was live here," the woman continued. "You would have lived the life you always dreamed of." She became angry. "Why is it that no one ever understands that?! I bring you all into my dream world and give all that you desire, only for you to turn it away! You...all of you disgust me!" She laughed darkly. "At least I had some fun this time."

" _FUN_?!" Paul spat. "You think toying with my emotions is  _FUN_?!"

"Compared to the Coordinator who wanted to be at the top of her game and that Breeder who wanted all of the Nurse Joys and Officer Jennies he desired, yes," she answered. "There was also that Trainer... I'm sure you know him well."  _Ash_ , Paul realized.  _Most likely his dream was all of the badges his pathetic hands could carry._ "Of course his dream was to be a Pokémon Master, but I could have had more...fun," she chuckled, "if his subconscious would have let me. Apparently there's something locked deep away in that brain of his." There was a collective sound of confusion. "But we're not here to talk about my last failed attempt. We're here to talk about all of you. And I refuse to have another one of my dream worlds slip through the cracks. You don't want a happy place? Fine." An illusion of a Pokémon that looked like a witch with no body appeared behind "Elizabeth" as she held out her arms.

"What is that?" Haley asked.

"A Mismagius," Honchkrow answered. "We're in big trouble."

"As if we weren't before," Infernape mumbled. He then noticed Paul gulp. "Wait...Mismagius...they create illusions, right? And if it's not happy then..."

"I will make this world filled with your darkest nightmares!" Mismagius declared, using the woman's body to talk. Suddenly the air was filled with ghosts. Humans, Ghost type Pokémon, and even ghosts of non-Ghost type Pokémon. None of them had eyes, and they all had faces twisted in pain.

Paul screamed. He fell to his knees and covered his head. "They're not there, they don't exist...they're not there, they don't exist..." Over and over he chanted the same two phrases, until a ghost looking eerily familiar flew next to him for a spilt second.

"Why were you born?" it wailed before flying away.

Now his new chant was, "I shouldn't have, I shouldn't have, I shouldn't have..."

"Paul, snap out of it!" Haley shouted. But he didn't. He was too frightened. She became very angry. "Take her out!" she ordered angrily. The Pokémon didn't hesitate and leapt for Mismagius, who dared to bring Paul to his knees in such a way.

But she didn't move, and instead snapped her fingers. A Pokémon appeared, looking very human-like but also having some feline features. Haley's eyes widened as the four were pushed back by a powerful gust of wind. "Your biggest failure, was it not?" Mismagius asked. "You never did beat  _Mewtwo_ , did you?"

Haley grunted. Sure, she had won the Earth Badge back in Viridian City, but then Giovanni, the leader, was so impressed by her talents he asked if she would participate in one more battle. It wouldn't be for the badge, he had said, she could keep that win or lose.

And what a loss.

Every single one of her Pokémon had fallen, badly, against what Giovanni declared to be his greatest creation and the ultimate Pokémon. Then the creation he had called Mewtwo decided to attack her as well before blasting all seven of them into the middle of the city. When she was questioned after recovering, all she could say was, "It...it was suffering...". And when she was asked what "it" was, all she replied with was, "It...it was terrifying...". Needless to say, Officer Jenny didn't get many leads that day, and when Haley went to try and battle Mewtwo after her successful Elite Four Run, she was met with a destroyed Viridian Gym.

This thing was crazy powerful, and she wondered how she was going to defeat it, even with twelve Pokémon and more experience.

She had to try.

"Paul, get up!" she snapped and whacked him upside the head. It snapped up, wet with tears of fear. "We have to get out of here, and the only way we can is if you pull yourself together and help me beat that thing!"

"But I-"

"Forget about everything and focus on  _that_! Unless you want to sit down scared for the rest of your life! You are Paul, a Pokémon Trainer who always fights back, not throw his hands up in defeat! So FIGHT!"

Paul took a deep breath and stood up. He had never seen Mewtwo before, and he had certainly never heard of it, but he could tell it was powerful. "Torterra, Ursaring, Weavile, Magmar! Stand by for battle!" All four Pokémon materialized, ready for battle.

"Staraptor, Torterra, Luxray, Umbreon! We need your help!" Now all twelve were out on the field, ready to face the illusionary Mewtwo.

"Everyone, be on guard!" Umbreon warned, seeing as how she was the only one who had dealt with the creation before. "This thing is no pushover! Don't hold anything back!"

"Right!" the other eleven responded.

Move after move colored the field. They tried freezing it, burning it, paralyzing it, but nothing was working. At least it seemed to be getting weaker, but so were the others. Umbreon, Weavile, Honchkrow, Luxray, and Infernape (thanks to learning Shadow Claw right in the middle of the fight) all launched super effective moves, but those did nothing. Staraptor tried an Aerial Ace assault, but that did nothing. Empoleon and Weavile fired off more Ice Beams, but those did nothing. A combined Thunderbolt and Thunder (and once even trying what they had pulled at the Windworks) didn't faze it; a double Flamethrower didn't stop it; Leaf Storm, Hyper Beam, and Seed Bomb failed. Everything they tried just wasn't working. "When will you learn just to give up?" Mismagius taunted. She snapped her fingers again, and Mewtwo created some sort of tornado, sucking everyone up. Paul was holding on to Haley as tight as he could. "Why couldn't you just accept a happy life here in this world?!" he heard over the roar of the wind. "Reality is harsh! Why would you ever want to be there?!"

"You're right!" Haley replied. "Reality  _is_  harsh! But that's life, and you can't change that! There are going to be high points, and there are going to be low points! The trick is to not let life slow you down, to take what you've been given and make the most out of it! I understand why you think you're doing a good thing, Mismagius, but your kindness hurts more than helps! We struggle, and when we fight past it, that's how we become stronger! You can't do that if your life is perfect!"

The only sound now was the tornado. "You really would rather leave this place, despite what I can give?" Mismagius asked once more.

"YES!" everyone cried.

Well...almost everyone.

"Very well," the Magical Pokémon responded solemnly. Using her powers she sent everyone back to the real world.

Everyone, that is, except for Paul Shinji Zuckerman.

He was lowered gently onto the ground, and everything was as when he woke up: a nice sunny day with a gentle breeze flowing through the hills. It was if no battle had taken place. "Am I to assume the reason you did not answer with everyone else is because you wish to stay here?" Mismagius asked, using a serious version of his mother's voice. Paul didn't answer. "If you stay, you'll have everything you ever wanted," the Ghost type continued. She walked in front of him, changing into a new form before she was completely in front of him. He stared at the new person.

"Everything?" he asked.

"Everything," the Haley clone replied. She looked exactly like his friend; Murkrow-black hair, slightly tan skin, slight muscle and skim build, and those hazels he loved. She gently intertwined their hands; the real Haley hadn't done that before, and it was only something Paul had only ever hoped would happen. And then the clone leaned in and kissed him, something Paul would have done anything for. He should have been happy...but he wasn't, and he knew why.

There was no spark this time.

"No," he stated, pushing away. "I can't stay here."

"But...but you'll have every-"

"Everything? Please. You can replicate looks; I'll give you that. But they lack everything else." He sighed. "I shouldn't have hesitated. I'm an idiot for doing so. Just send me back."

"Back to a world filled with misery?"

"Yes...but it also has happiness. A blend I don't think a Mismagius can understand, especially you."

Mismagius, still in Haley's body, glared at him, trying to replicate the chill-to-the-bone look. If it were the real Haley, he would have flinched and listened to every word that came out of her mouth. But to this cheap imitation he smirked. Realizing she had lost, Mismagius waved her hand. "I am tired," she said. "I am done dealing with all of you rejecting my offers. I will leave this place...and I don't know whether to say thank you, you're welcome, or I hate you."

Paul smirked even bigger. "You just said all three," he replied.

"Smart ass."

"I can live with that."

...

Paul's eyes flew open. The sun was shining. So had Mismagius not kept her promise? Then he noticed he was lying in tall grass, not short, and he had his jacket on once again. He sat up and looked around. This time, Haley was next to him, still sleeping. A few seconds later, her eyes flew open. She lifted her head slightly. "Are we-"

"Yeah," Paul answered. He stood up, and then helped Haley up as well. "Come on, let's find a Pokémon Center."

Haley nodded, and for a while the two walked in silence. "Hey Paul," she finally piped up, "is that what your mom was like?"

He stopped. "So I've been told," he answered. "But I wouldn't know personally, seeing as how she died soon after giving birth to me." He faced her, and to her surprise and yet figured he would, he was crying. "Now do you see why I didn't want to believe that wasn't a dream? Mom was  _alive_. I hadn't taken her life away from her."

"You didn't-"

"I didn't? I  _didn't_? She  _died_ because she gave  _birth_ to  _me_!" His mouth opened to say more, and both of them knew exactly what he most likely would have said, but instead he turned again and ran off. To where? He didn't know.

"Paul!" Haley called after him. "Paul, please hold- oof!" She turned to see what she had tripped over and frowned. Paul really wanted to be alone if he had discarded his belt. She picked up the belt with the six Poké Balls and held onto them tightly.

"Excuse me!" Haley turned to see a Nurse Joy running towards her. The Trainer had never been so happy to see one in her life.

"Please tell me there's a Pokémon Center close by, and you're not a traveling nurse," Haley said, sounding desperate.

Nurse Joy laughed. "There's definitely a Pokémon Center near by," she answered. "Follow me." The two walked, and over the hill Haley could see the red-roofed building. "I suppose you met with Mismagius last night after trying to take shelter from the 'storm'," Joy stated.

"You mean...that storm was caused by her?"

"Yes. She uses Rain Dance, creates a wall with a gate for shelter, and then she has fun with the Trainers that run through it. Not so much fun for the Trainers, though."

"Fun is the last possible word I would use," Haley mumbled.

The nurse frowned. "She did an emotional illusion again, did she?" she stated sadly. "That must have been why that young man was running."

 _No doubt that's Paul,_ Haley thought. "As much as I don't want to, I need to give him space." Haley sighed. "Guess I'll get something to eat and then train. Might as well dry my bandana and my other shirt while I'm at it."

"That might be for the best." Haley tried her best to smile.

After finally getting something to eat, Haley brought all twelve Pokémon out to train. But no one seemed to really have the heart to do so, even Ursaring and Honchkrow and _especially_ Electabuzz, Weavile, and Torterra. Haley might have scolded them for being lazy if she had her own heart into it. "Haley," Weavile said quietly. Now that Chimchar was gone, he was probably the most childish, and as such him saying her name sounded (dare Haley say) cute. And worried. "Do you think Paul is going to be okay?"

Haley sighed. "I don't know," she answered. "I feel like I usually have the answer on how to make him feel better, but this time... I'm all out."

"Sorry, I'm just worried," Weavile admitted.

"We all are," Paul's Torterra told him. "I wish there was a way to help him, though."

"Excuse me," a voice boomed. The gang turned their heads towards it and was met with a Cyclops-looking Pokémon. "I might be of assistance."

"No offense, pal," Electabuzz voiced, "but the last thing Paul needs is to meet up with a Ghost type, especially a Dusknoir."

"What exactly is a guide to the spirit world doing here?" Luxray asked, sounding slightly uninterested. No one answered, and that allowed time for her offhanded comment to sink in. And it left the gang in a state of panic.

"Paul's not dead, is he?!" they all cried.

Dusknoir calmed them down. "No, no, I'm not here to take him," he assured. There was a collective sigh of relief. "However, my business here does concern him."

"In what way?" Haley asked. And when the Gripper Pokémon explained to them his business, they all voiced a little concern and yet couldn't help but smile.

Meanwhile, at the lake close by, Paul was lying down and looking at the sky. He had finally calmed down, but he still wasn't happy. He sighed, beating himself up for yelling at Haley again for stupid reasons. "Hey, kid, what are you doing out here by yourself?" a voice asked, sounding oddly familiar. But Paul was too upset to try and figure out why that was.

"None of your business," he muttered, not even having the strength to sound as annoyed as usual.

"Mmm, I don't know, Shin," the man stated. Paul's eyes widened. There was only one person in the world who called him that. "When I see my nephew lying on the ground looking like he just trekked up Mt. Coronet twice in one day, I like to think I have some right to know this business."

Paul sat up and looked behind him. There he was, in his ragged brown trench coat, his gray shirt and jeans that were worn out at the bottom, his worn out brown shoes, with his dark lavender hair, and violet traveler eyes... "Fuck!" Paul shouted, grabbing his hair. "How could I be so stupid?!"

The man laughed. "Now don't tell me you forgot your favorite uncle?" he stated.

"Apparently I did, and Mismagius' fucked-up world made you my father, Uncle Carlos," Paul admitted. "No wonder you looked so familiar! I could have been out of that place faster!"

"Hey, don't beat yourself up, Paul," Carlos replied, sitting down next to him. "I fell for it, too, many years ago. And do you want to know something? Mismagius made me your father." He laughed once more. "Great minds think alike, huh?" Paul couldn't help but give off a very tiny smile. "And your mother was there too."

"She was in mine," Paul stated.

Carlos nodded. "Do you want to know how I realized it was all a dream?"

"That Mom was alive? That she was your wife instead of Aunt Beverly?"

"Nah, it was the fact that you wanted to see my Banette."

"Not in a million years."

"Exactly!" Carlos laughed.

Paul let a tiny chuckle slip out. "So, what are you doing here?" he asked. "You already traveled through Sinnoh."

His uncle laid on the grass, using his arms as a pillow. "Decided to take a break for a while," he answered. "And your aunt wanted us to go on a vacation to Hearthome. But you know her. She and that Granbull of hers were being too girly for one man to handle for more than an hour, so I decided to come here to clear my head."

Haley's family was weird in its own way, but Paul truly believed he had the weirdest, hands down. "Why did you fall in love with her, anyway?"

"Sometimes it just happens, Shin," Carlos replied. "When she's not being extremely girly," the men smirked at each other, knowing that was kind of rare, "she's what I'm looking for. One day you'll understand. There will be those days where you wonder 'Why the hell am I in love with this person?' And then you'll shrug your shoulders and go, 'Eh, I don't give a shit'."

Paul gave off another small smile. "Well I-"

"Paul!" He turned to find Haley running towards him.

"I already know," he told his uncle before standing up. And it was perfect timing, too, because Haley happened to trip on a rock, and Paul held out his arms and caught her. "Since when did you have two left feet?" he chuckled.

Haley rolled her eyes. "You owe me for the first time I tripped, seeing as how it was your belt," she grumbled. She pushed away from him. "Anyway, that's not why...what's _he_ doing here?!"

Paul chuckled. "Guess I should introduce you properly," he stated. "This is my  _uncle_ , not my father, Carlos."

"Yo," Carlos answered.

"Would have been extremely helpful if you remembered that earlier."

"I know, I know. Now what was it you ran over here for?"

She smiled. "Okay, I don't want you to freak out, but there's this Dusknoir that wants to see you."

"You say not to freak out, but it's kind of hard when you're talking about a guide to the spirit world."

"He's not here for you...okay, he is. But it's most certainly not because you're dead."

"Then why is he here?"

"Because I asked him to bring me here," another familiar voice said. Everyone turned to find Dusknoir, and Paul  _would_ have screamed, if the being standing next to him didn't take his full attention.

There was silence. "L-Lizzy?" Carlos finally asked, unable to believe what he was seeing. The slightly transparent woman, wearing the same outfit Mismagius had worn, gave a gentle smile and nodded.

Paul had believed he had exhausted all the tears he had. Clearly, he had been wrong.

The teen sunk to his knees, fresh tears rolling down. "M...M...M..." This time, the word refused to leave him. Elizabeth walked over to him lightly and knelt down. Her hand brushed over his cheek, unable to wipe the tears away, and yet it still felt as if skin had touched skin. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself close, hugging him. She felt even warmer than the version that Paul could physically touch. Despite the inability to touch her, though, Paul felt even safer in her arms than he had before. And that only made him feel even guiltier. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"What are you sorry for?" his deceased mother asked.

"I killed you," he answered, his voice still in a whisper. "I took you away from Reggie and Dad. It's all my fault."

The woman pulled away and looked her youngest in the eye. "Now how can something that you had no control over be your fault?" she questioned. "The reason I'm not here, Paul, is because of me, myself, and I. I didn't take proper care of myself."

"But if I wasn't here, you could have, and then-" Paul's fast-talking was cut short when Lizzy closed in again.

"Honey, you can't blame yourself for something like this. It breaks my heart when you talk like that." Paul was surprised. Did that mean she could watch him? "I'm glad you're alive, Paul. All a mother wishes for is for her children to be happy and live their lives to the fullest."

Paul frowned. "You must be pretty disappointed, then," he stated dully.

"Life sometimes tries to throw us off course," the woman replied. "The important thing is to try and get ourselves back on track. And you have a lovely friend who is very willing to help you." She pulled back again and smiled that gentle smile of hers. "Am I wrong?"

"..." Paul gave off a tiny smile. "No," he whispered.

Lizzy looked over his shoulder. "You'll watch out for him?" she asked.

"I'll try," Haley responded quietly. Paul noted how it sounded like she was fighting back tears.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his mom nodded. "And Carlos, it's always nice to see you," she greeted.

"I...never thought I would see you again," he admitted. "We've...all missed you."

Paul stiffened slightly at that, but Lizzy ran her fingers through his hair slowly, and he relaxed. "Elizabeth, we have run out of time," Dusknoir informed.

"I suppose so," she said, standing up.

"S-suppose what?" Paul asked.

Lizzy smiled, sadly this time. "We must part ways for now," she answered.

"No!" Paul sprang up. "Can't you stay, just a little longer?"

"We can't," Lizzy stated. She brushed her hand over Paul's cheek again. "But maybe another day, we can see each other again." The smile went back to a gentle one. "I'm so glad I finally got to talk to you, Paul, and I'm so proud of you. Keep your chin up, okay? And I want you to remember one very important thing: I love you. I love you very much." Her hand drifted away, and she and Dusknoir traveled to the edge of the forest. Lizzy's eyes never once left Paul's until they got to the trees. With one last smile, she turned her head and disappeared into the forest.

She was gone.

Everyone looked to where the two had disappeared. And then Lizzy's son moved to sit back in the grass. He brought his knees up and buried his head in them. He heard whispering and then someone walk off, but he didn't catch what was said and he didn't know if both of them had gone or just one of them. Soon he realized it was only one, because he heard the second person walk over to him and sit down. After a while he felt arms wrap around his waist and a head rest on his shoulder. He looked to see the person who had stayed behind was Haley, who was letting tears fall silently. "What are you crying for?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"I'm sorry, Paul," she answered at the same volume.

"Why?"

"Because your mom isn't here," Haley explained. "Because I didn't mean to make you cry."

"What does that mean?"

"Dusknoir approached me and told me that your mom wanted to speak to you, and I thought it would be good idea, but maybe-" Paul cut her off by returning her hug and pulling her close so that now she sat in between his legs.

"I never got to talk to her before," he said. "I've never been able to see her before. It was painful, but I'm also glad. Really glad."

Haley looked at him. "Will you stop blaming yourself, then?" she asked.

Paul met her eyes. "Seeing as how the two most important women in my life just told me to do so, I think I'll try," he replied.

"I'm…just as important as your mom?"

"How could you not be?"

They stared at each other, and unconsciously their hands intertwined. When they noticed this, their faces went red. "Oh, I- uh," Haley stuttered.

"H-Haley, I…"  _The hell are you doing?!_ Paul shouted.  _Stop staring at her like an idiot! You have a chance! Take it!_ It would make sense, right? To kiss her right now, pouring out of his sadness and transform it into happiness? He gulped and leaned in just a tad. Haley looked at little scared. If she was, maybe this was a bad idea. Or was it anticipation? So if he did back away, then she would be sad. But what if…  _Stop thinking about it!_ he scolded. Yeah, just take action and accept the consequences later. And just as he was about to actually do something, Paul discovered it.

The wonderful phenomenon that was poorly timed distractions.

"Excuse me, pretty lady!" The sudden shout from the little girl startled Paul. He let go of Haley and ended up falling backwards. Haley looked to see a girl at the top of the hill. "Are you the one with the Staraptor and Empoleon?"

The Trainer stood up. "Yeah," she replied.

"My sister wants to battle you!" the little girl explained. "Is now a good time?"

"Of course," Haley answered. Paul definitely didn't agree. "You want to watch?" his friend offered.

For once, he preferred not to. "No," he grumbled.

"What got you so worked up, Mister Sour Puss?"

"Just go have your stupid battle." Haley rolled her eyes and walked off, leaving Paul lying in the grass by himself to wrap himself in his thoughts. A few minutes later his uncle came back and sat down next to him. One…two…three… "Damn it!"

Carlos laughed. "You'll get it eventually," he said. "But you also have to prepare for things like that." Paul groaned, to which his uncle laughed once more.

They relaxed by the lake for a few minutes, the sound of a battle in the distance. After a few minutes Carlos stood up and helped Paul up. They made their way to the Pokémon Center and found a double battle between Staraptor and Empoleon, and Medicham and Zangoose. Staraptor's Aerial Ace and Zangoose's Slash were clashing, and Empoleon was fighting the Meditate Pokémon's Focus Blast with his Bubblebeam. "Oh, is that your friend?" the opposing Trainer asked as the attacks finished.

Haley looked back. "Yeah, that's him," she replied. "Paul, would you rather we go now or are you fine with waiting?"

"To be honest, I'd rather go."

"Somehow I knew you'd say that." She turned to her opponent. "Sorry we didn't get to finish, Portia."

Portia and her Pokémon shrugged. "It's fine," she answered. "We had an awesome time, so it's not like it mattered. Your Pokémon are really strong."

Empoleon beamed and was clearly ready to boast, but Luxray and Electabuzz were not going to have any of that and started chasing him, threatening to use their Electric type attacks. The two new girls and Carlos looked on in confusion while Paul and Haley sighed. "That one's got a slight ego boost," Haley explained.

"Slight?" was the collective question from the group.

"I see," Portia said. "Well, hopefully we can meet again and finish this battle."

"Right… Can anyone do a whistle?" Carlos could, and after he did the three Pokémon turned to him. "Come on, guys, we're heading out!" Haley shouted. Luxray and Electabuzz nodded.

"Thank you!" Empoleon exclaimed before the three were recalled. The other nine quickly followed.

"So, shall we go?" Haley asked. Paul nodded.

"You two are going for the Relic Badge, right?" Carlos inquired. They nodded, and he smiled. "Can I come and watch?"

Haley smiled back. "I wouldn't mind," she stated. "Besides, I think you'll be blown away by Paul's battling."

Paul looked at her in surprise, and then formed a smirk. After Haley bid Portia and her sister goodbye, the three set off for Hearthome City. As they walked, Paul's hand brushed Haley's, and they jumped. They stared at each other. "It…it's warm," Paul muttered. His eyes darted somewhere else, embarrassed. Suddenly he felt her hand intertwine with his. He jumped again and looked at her. She was smiling, with a small blush on her face.

"It is," she agreed.

He blinked and then smiled, blushing as well.

There were things he could look forward to here.

* * *

 

**A/N: So, why is this chapter called _Through the Looking Glass_? Simple. This is the "sequel" to the anime episode titled  _Malice in Wonderland_. Mismagius references that episode in this chapter, just as an FYI.**


	20. A Ghostly Tango

As the trio approached Hearthome City, Haley and Carlos learned about each other. Unlike in Mismagius' world, Carlos didn't know who Haley was, not that she minded. She happily explained what Carlos wanted to know. "And you travel?" she asked when she was all done.

"Yep," Carlos replied.

"All over the world?"

"Of course."

Haley's eyes shined brightly. "So that means you've seen all sorts of people, places, and Pokémon, right?"

"Those are the three important Ps when you travel."

"So what kind of Pokémon do you have? Do you have a Nidoking and a Fearow? Because that's what Mismagius made you use."

Carlos held out two Poké Balls. "Right in here," he answered. He put the Balls back in his belt as he continued. "I also have a Banette, a Rapidash, and I most recently caught a Pawn-" He stopped and smiled. "Never mind. You two will see one, eventually, and I don't want to spoil the surprise." The two teens looked at each other and gave confused looks.

"Ah, Carlos dear!" Paul heard his aunt call.

"Father!"

Oh no.

No, no, no, no, no, no, NO.

He heard the footsteps come up to them and stop at the same time the trio did. Paul dared to look. And sure enough, there he was. Why did fate hate him so much? Why did this light purple-almost-blond-haired with gray eyes boy have to be here? That annoying...annoying...twat (Paul always tried not to use that word; sometimes it wouldn't work) wearing his long red sleeve sweater with the white scarf wrapped around his neck and his gray jeans and his brown dress shoes? Their eyes narrowed. "Paul," his cousin greeted dully.

"Trey," Paul greeted with just as much enthusiasm.

"Simpleton."

"Pompous ass."

"Whoa, hold the phone!" Haley exclaimed, getting in between the cousins. "Is this seriously how you guys greet each other?"

Carlos sighed. "Unfortunately," he responded. "They've never failed to do so."

"Joy," Haley stated using the same tone as the cousins. "So are we going to have to listen to this the entire way?"

"The entire way to where?" Carlos' wife asked.

"These two are going to the Gym," Carlos explained.

The woman looked surprised. "Paul, dear, I didn't know you battled," she stated.

Paul looked at his aunt. "I do," he replied simply.

Trey snorted. "Barbarian," he insulted.

"Spoiled brat."

"Stop it!" Haley snapped. "So he likes to battle, so what? And Paul, haven't I already said something about letting people get under your skin?"

"Well, I for one would love to see my nephew battle," the woman piped up.

"I was thinking the same thing, Beverly," Carlos said. He laughed. "I was trying to think of a good excuse to come up with to let me watch, but I guess it won't be necessary."

Haley smiled. "Then let's go already," she advised. "I'm tired of standing around, and I've waited long enough to get this badge."

The group began walking again, and somehow the cousins got stuck walking next to each other, much to their displeasure. They didn't make eye contact and were completely silent as Beverly and Haley were chatting with Carlos jumping in every once in a while. "Delinquent," Trey whispered, finally breaking the silence between the boys.

Paul shot a glare. "Kiss up."

"Smart ass."

"Look at that, you said more than one word."

"Proving my point."

"Idiot."

"At least I  _went_ to school."

"Ooo, look at bookworm over here. But are you street smart? I highly doubt it."

"Before we get to the Gym, can we stop by the Poké Mart?" Haley asked rather loudly. "I'd like to buy some  _duct tape_."

Paul huffed. "Can we stop with the duct tape?!" he cried.

"Well maybe if you shut up, yes!" Haley retorted. "Either that, or instead of insulting each other, you guys try having a  _normal_ conversation. You do know what a  _normal_ conversation is, right?"

"What do you want us to talk about, the weather?" Paul asked dully.

When sarcastic comments are spoken and Haley is already annoyed, that leads to a whack to the head. Paul took note of this as he was holding his aching head and Haley was storming away. "Just like my brothers," she grumbled. "Don't know when to keep their mouths shut."

Trey blinked. "Wow."

"Yeah, don't piss her off," Paul advised, shaking his head.

"Why do you travel with her if she treats you like that?" his cousin questioned as they began to follow the other three again.

"Because she doesn't always act like that," Paul answered. "And at least I don't think of women as being worth less than dirt."

The other teen bit his lip. "Look, I worded that wrong," he stated. "I didn't mean to make it sound like that. I meant that I'd rather have more control. A 60/40 thing favoring me, because if it's the other way I get that." He pointed to Haley.

Paul rolled his eyes. "That only happens because when Haley's pissed, she's pissed. I still have a functioning brain and I still use it."

"Okay, sorry," Trey apologized. There was a while of silence before Trey spoke up again. "So, you're a Trainer now." The last time the two had seen each other, they were eight years old, and that meeting started and ended like all of the rest.

His cousin nodded. "I've told you, you can have my position. I don't want it."

"Doesn't mean you're not in my way," Trey mumbled.

"Then that's Dad's problem, not mine," Paul snapped. "He's the one too stubborn to realize I don't want it."

Trey sighed. "Father keeps giving him that possibility and giving him the suggestion to give the company to me, but he keeps saying it has to be father to son."

"That's only proving my point, so could you stop hating me for it?"

"Only if you can stop hating me because...why  _do_ you hate me?"

Paul looked at him, and for the first time it wasn't a glare of some kind. Trey's question made him realize he didn't quite have a clear reason as to why he hated his cousin. "Maybe because you act like a spoiled brat about the whole thing," he offered.

Now Trey looked at him, also not shooting a glare. "Maybe?" he repeated.

"I really don't know," Paul admitted. "That's the only thing I can think of."

"Or maybe every action has an equal and opposite reaction."

Paul snorted in amusement. "Nerd."

"Street kid."

"Thank you," they both answered.

The group finally made it to the Gym (with Haley and especially Trey's parents being surprised that the cousins were still in one piece), and Carlos knocked on the door. A few moments the door opened, revealing a woman wearing a sparkling dark purple dress and high heels. She also had violet hair tied up in four long buns. "Ah, what do we have here?" she asked.

* * *

 

**(A/N: Fantina has a French accent, btw. I'm not writing that out, though, so rely on your imagination. Also, I will be putting in French phrases. They will always be in italics because I just like putting foreign words in italics. The translated version will be right after unless the phrase has already been used, is well known, or totally obvious. And also know that Fantina doesn't say the translated version, just the French version. One more note: I am NOT a native French speaker, nor have I taken any French classes, so some phrases may be wrong. Please don't kill me if they are.)**

* * *

 

Carlos showed the woman the two challengers. "These two were hoping to have a Gym Battle," he explained.

The woman grinned. " _Fantastique_!" she exclaimed. " _Bonjour_ , you two! My name is Fantina, and I am the Gym Leader of this fabulous Gym!"

"My name is Paul."

"Haley. Nice to meet you."

" _Charmant_ , lovely!" Then she looked at the other three. "And are the rest of you here to watch?"

"That's right," Carlos answered. He introduced his family. "Paul here is my nephew," he finished, "and Haley is a friend of his."

" _Magnifique_ , wonderful!" she exclaimed. "So, which one of you will go first?"

"He will," Haley replied, pointing to Paul.

Her friend looked at her. "Are you sure?" he questioned.

"Of course," she told him. "I went first last time, so it's only fair. And besides, your family is here to watch you, not me."

"Dear, don't sell yourself short," Beverly voiced. "I would love to watch you battle."

Carlos nodded. "Though your first point still stands," he stated. "Come on, Paul, take her up on her offer."

Paul turned to Fantina. "Well, alright," he agreed.  _They're just Pokémon. You can do it. You've fought plenty before, and it's not like they'll scare you...wait, why am I so worried about this? I don't even know where all of this came from._

Fantina smiled at Paul's response, not noticing his sudden internal worrying. "Then follow me,  _s'il vous plaît_."

The five followed the Gym Leader inside, and soon all sides were ready as per usual. "The Hearthome Gym Match between Paul and Fantina will now begin," the referee announced. "Each Trainer will use three Pokémon, and when all three of one Trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue, the battle is over. Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon."

"Gengar, battle position!" Fantina shouted. She threw her Poké Ball and sent out the Shadow Pokémon, who, thanks to its ability Levitate, was floating over the field.

Paul felt his throat go dry as he looked at the red eyes and mischievous grin.  _Come on, what are you so worried about?_ he asked himself.  _You fought Morty's, and there were a few Trainers you've battled along the way. It's just a Gengar, get a hold of yourself._ "Honchkrow, stand by for battle!" Paul released his Pokémon, and he stretched his wings.

"The challenger calls the first move," the ref stated. "Battle begin!"

"Honchkrow, use Dark Pulse!" Honchkrow fired the dark purple beam.

"Dodge and use Shadow Claw!" Fantina ordered. Gengar moved out of the way gracefully and flew towards Honchkrow. The Big Boss Pokémon quickly dodged. Gengar didn't expect its opponent to move out of the way so fast and couldn't stop its forward motion until it was right in front of Paul.

By that time, Paul was on his knees and covering his head, chanting that Gengar didn't exist.

"Oh my," Fantina gasped with concern.

Trey was wide-eyed; he had never seen his cousin like this. Beverly was very worried. "Paul!" Haley and Carlos shouted as they ran to his side.

"Paul, everything's okay," Haley said calmly as she knelt to his level.

"Come on, tough guy," Carlos encouraged. "You can do it."

"No, I can't," Paul argued weakly. "I... I'll go battle somewhere else."

"Absolutely not!" Haley argued back, standing both of them back up. "You can't just give up! What's gotten into you, anyway?"

"I don't know," Paul admitted quietly.

Carlos was thinking. "PTSD," he finally offered. "Something must have happened in Mismagius' dream world."

Haley thought back to their experience in the illusion. "I remember. Mismagius summoned a whole bunch of ghosts, human and Pokémon."

"That," Carlos began, "combined with the fact that it was a Mismagius running the show, has gotten to his brain, whether he really registers it or not."

Fantina sighed disappointingly. "Not the Mismagius again," she stated. "Such a  _fauteuse de troubles_ , a troublemaker. Well, if you don't want to battle here-"

"He's going to battle!" Haley interrupted.

"But if he feels uncomfortable, he should be allowed to leave,  _non_?" the Gym Leader voiced.

"Paul can do it," Haley reasoned.

"No I-"

" _Yes_ ," his friend stressed. "The only way to get over your fears is to face them. I know I shouldn't be one to talk, but I am working on it, and you need to as well."

"But I don't think I can right now by myself."

Haley fell silent. Then she turned to Fantina and stepped forward. "Fantina, I have a proposal," she stated. "Would you be willing to listen?"

" _Bien sûr_ , of course," she answered, nodding.

"I propose a double battle," Haley explained. "Paul and I versus you. The two of us will get two Pokémon each, while you get four."

Everyone looked at her. "What if one of you were to lose all of your Pokémon?" the ref asked, playing as the devil's advocate.

"Then that one loses, but the other one can still fight and try to get their badge. So say I lose both of my Pokémon. Paul can still fight and win, but I will have to come back another day to claim my badge."

"But should at least one of your Pokémon stay standing by the end you both shall earn your badges," Fantina finished, looking very excited. "Ooo,  _oui, oui,_ I think this idea is _fantastique_! A furious tango of power,  _non_? Very well, I accept your proposal!"

Haley turned to Paul. "Do you agree?" she asked.

"I..." His eyes darted to the floor, and then they came back up. "Sure."

"That's it, kiddo!" Carlos exclaimed. "Now go get her!" The two nodded.

Now the challenger's box held the two challengers, and Carlos was back in the stands. "Father, I didn't know Paul was scared of ghosts," Trey noted.

"You never were there when the issue was present, were you?" Carlos stated. "Yes, unfortunately, but it seems Haley has figured out how to help him out."

"Such a sweet, smart girl," Beverly praised.  _Mother must have been oblivious to her hitting Paul's head_ , Trey thought, sighing to himself.

"Duskull, battle position!" Fantina shouted. Now two levitating Ghost type occupied the Gym Leader's side of the field.

Haley picked out a Poké Ball from her belt. "Luxray, time to shine!" she exclaimed, releasing her Electric type.

Luxray stretched her body out. Then she looked at the field and was confused. She turned to see Honchkrow. "What's going on here?" she asked him.

"Paul got a bit spooked, so Haley proposed a double battle so she could stick by him," the bird explained.

"Huh." Luxray looked at her opponents. "Alright, ladies, you better be prepared!" she proclaimed.

"Anytime," Gengar answered.

"It's been a while since I have had a chance to battle," Duskull stated.

"How did you know they were both female?" Honchkrow asked.

 _It was actually suppose to be an insult,_ Luxray thought. "Female intuition," she responded.

"Challengers still have first move," the ref announced.

"You want to go or should I?" Haley asked. Paul pointed at her. "Fine by me. Luxray, use Crunch on Gengar!" Luxray ran towards the Shadow Pokémon.

"Counter with Shadow Punch, Gengar!"

"Intercept with Dark Pulse, Honchkrow!" Paul ordered. The Big Boss Pokémon fired the beam at Gengar, who dodged it. But it distracted her long enough for Luxray to jump up, clamp her teeth around her leg, and slam her into the ground.

Haley smiled. "Thanks, Paul," she said. He nodded.

" _Oui, oui, très bon_ , very good!" Fantina exclaimed. "What teamwork! But we will not be beaten so easily! Duskull, Shadow Sneak on Honchkrow!" Duskull's shadow began to stretch towards the Dark-Flying type.

"Luxray, use Thunderbolt on Duskull and stop her!" Haley ordered.

"No, her shadow!" Paul shouted. Luxray looked at the two Trainers, wondering whose order to follow. "Now!" There was so much demand and urgency in his voice that Luxray decided to fire at the speeding shadow. And it was a good thing she fired when she did, because the shadow had just leapt out of the ground, ready to strike Honchkrow. But the bolt hit the shadow before it could reach its target, causing it to recoil back underneath Duskull. The Requiem Pokémon was surprised and even felt a bit of the shock from the attack.

"Wow, Paul, how did you know to do that?" Haley asked.

"When a Pokémon uses Shadow Sneak, the shadow is technically its own entity," Paul explained. "If we had hit Duskull, the shadow would have still been moving."

She nodded. "Good to know." Then she noticed Gengar going for Honchkrow with Shadow Claw once more. "Faint Attack!" she ordered quickly and without really thinking.

But Honchkrow didn't seem to mind. He disappeared out of sight, once again leaving Gengar in shock. What shocked her even more was Luxray's tail suddenly wrapping around her foot. After giving the Ghost type a smirk she whipped her tail, causing Gengar to fly and crash right into Duskull. They recovered, only to discover Honchkrow had reappeared right behind them. "Dark Pulse!" Paul shouted. Honchkrow fired, and the two Ghost types were sent flying back. Gengar floated up just fine afterwards. Duskull...not so much.

"Duskull is unable to battle!"

"Noooo!" Fantina wailed.

"Awesome job!" Haley praised, but since she didn't say either name, Paul couldn't scold her for making his Pokémon soft.

Oh, what the hell. She already was.

"Nice shootin, Tex," Luxray complimented. The Big Boss Pokémon nodded in response.

Fantina smiled and pulled out a Poké Ball. " _Merci_ , thank you, Duskull," she said. "Return." The Requiem Pokémon was beamed back in. " _Ce que c'est drôle_! What fun! But we are not done. In fact, we are only getting started. Drifblim, battle position!" The Blimp Pokémon appeared on the field, floating in the sky like the other two Ghost types.

Luxray chuckled. "Someone's confident," she remarked. "Bringing a Flying type out against me is a huge mistake."

"Yeah, you sure showed that Gyarados," Honchkrow stated sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"...Shut up."

"Your Luxray seems confident," the Gym Leader noted.

"Oh that she is," Haley replied.

Paul snorted. "Just another inflated ego we have to deal with," he informed.

"You mean like yours?" Haley joked. Paul smirked.

Fantina giggled. "Well, let me tell you something,  _s'il vous plaît_ ," she began. "I have had Drifblim since it was an egg. It is my prized Pokémon, and it will not go down so easily."

Paul cocked an eyebrow, Haley had a "Bring it on!" face, and Trey was confused. "Why would she bring out her best Pokémon now?" he asked more to himself, but it was loud enough for Carlos to catch.

"Different Gym Leaders have different ways of testing their challengers," his father explained. "By bringing her best out now rather than last, it could make the challengers cocky and lose to the easier Pokémon. That means they have to learn not to stop fighting until it's all over."

"Or...maybe she's faking them out?" Trey offered.

Carlos laughed. "I knew there was a Pokémon Trainer mindset in there somewhere," he said with a grin. Trey sighed and yet couldn't help but smile a little.

"Alright, Luxray, use Thunder Fang on Drifblim!" Haley commanded.

"Honchkrow, Shadow Ball on Gengar!" Paul ordered.

"Gengar, Night Shade!" From her eyes, Gengar fired a dark crimson beam, which collided with Honchkrow's attack. Meanwhile, Luxray was leaping for Drifblim, and she was dangerously close. But Fantina wasn't fazed. "Psychic!" Drifblim's eyes glowed blue, and Luxray was stopped mid-leap.

Luxray growled at her forced stop and tried to get free by struggling. "Now I know how Umbreon's opponents feel," she muttered as she continued to squirm.

"Honchkrow, Night Slash on Drifblim!" Paul shouted. The Big Boss Pokémon lit up his wing and flew towards the Ghost-Flying type.

"Intercept with Shadow Punch!" Gengar rushed over towards her opponent, and the two attacks collided once more. "Drifblim, use Hypnosis!"

Now Luxray was struggling even more. "No, I'm  _not_  taking a dirt nap!" she protested. Her opponent thought otherwise. The Electric type still in her hold, Drifblim flew over to the feline and shot a yellow X at her. Luxray struggled to keep her eyes open. "I'm...not...sleeepppyyy..." And she fell asleep.

"Ah, Luxray!" Haley cried.

"Honchkrow!" Paul's shout made the Dark-Flying type break out of his struggle with Gengar and go for Drifblim instead.

Fantina smiled. "Ominous Wind!" she ordered. Drifblim waved her arms and caused purple wind to hit the two opposing Pokémon. But they also realized, a little too late, that Ominous Wind was a move that also hit allies. So with two weakened Pokémon and a Pokémon weak to Ghost-type moves caught in the blast, Drifblim found herself with an accidental triple knockout.

"Gengar, Luxray, and Honchkrow are unable to battle!"

The Gym Leader wailed once more, Haley was left speechless at the predicament, and Paul swore under his breath. All three Trainers returned their Pokémon. Then Fantina giggled. " _Mon mauvais_ , my bad," she apologized. "But this makes things more interesting,  _oui_? All of us are down to our last Pokémon. And our motto is to never give, never surrender! Mismagius, battle position!"

Paul knew it wasn't the same Mismagius as before. But that didn't stop him from almost hyperventilating when the witch-like Pokémon appeared above the field. The only thing that stopped such a thing from occurring was the feeling of fingers brushing against his own. Paul straightened up in surprise and looked over at Haley, who was smiling. "You've got this, Paul," she encouraged. "And I'm right here, okay?"

He blinked, and then he nodded. He pulled out a Poké Ball. "Weavile, stand by for battle!" The Dark-Ice type materialized, completely battle ready.

"Empoleon, time to shine!" Haley shouted, releasing the Emperor Pokémon. Paul gave her a curious look. "He hasn't been in a Gym Battle since Oreburgh," Haley explained. "Psychic won't be able to pick him up - at least not easily - and he has Ice Beam to take out Drifblim." Then she directed her attention to the battlefield. "Ready, buddy?"

"Any time!" Empoleon announced.

"I'm ready!" Weavile declared.

Paul watched as the two gave their confirmation. He nodded, though he felt it was more to himself that anyone in particular. "Weavile, use Swords Dance!" The Sharp Claw Pokémon's claws glowed purple and extended.

"Jump on Empoleon's shoulder, Weavile!" Haley ordered. Weavile looked back, slightly confused.

"Do it," Paul agreed. His Pokémon nodded and jumped onto Empoleon's shoulder and wrapped his claw around one of his horns.

"Be careful with the claws," Empoleon commented with a smirk. The Dark-Ice type nodded again, matching the smirk with his own.

"Surf!" Haley shouted. The Emperor Pokémon created a giant wave and began to ride towards the opposing Pokémon.

Fantina marveled at the sight. "Now that is how you do an all-target attack," she complimented. "But that will not stop us. Mismagius, use Magical Leaf! Drifblim, control them with Psychic!" Mismagius released the leaves, and Drifblim began to circle them around the two males.

"Jump off the wave!" Haley commanded. Empoleon jumped back, and the leaves followed him. Meanwhile, without anyone to control it, the wave died, crashing onto the battlefield and soaking it.

"Use Ice Shard!" Weavile raised his hands up and created a ball of ice and threw it at the leaves, destroying both projectiles. Paul noticed the wet battlefield, and an idea flashed through his head. He bumped Haley's hand. "I have an idea," he whispered. He quickly told her what he was thinking, and she nodded.

"Both of you, use Ice Beam on the field!" the girl ordered. The males took one look at the floor and figured out why that had been ordered. They fired, and the dirt battlefield was now covered in a layer of ice.

The Gym Leader was fascinated yet confused. "Now what do you two have up your sleeves?" she wondered.

"Weavile, go towards Mismagius!" Paul shouted.

The Dark-Ice type hopped onto the ice and began skating. "Just like back home," he reminisced with a smirk.

"Oh, I think I know what is happening," Fantina stated. "You are trying to build up speed to land a more powerful blow. Well, we won't let that happen. Drifblim, use Will-O-Wisp and melt the ice!" The Blimp Pokémon created blue flames that surrounded her.

"Empoleon, make sure that doesn't happen!"

"On it!" he answered his Trainer. He jumped onto the ice and slid on his belly towards his target.

"Stop it with Magical Leaf, Mismagius!"

"Ice Shard!"

While those two moves collided once more, Drifblim fired the flames, but Empoleon intercepted with Bubblebeam. "You are quite strong," Fantina commented. "I shall fix that. Hypnosis!" Drifblim went to fire another yellow X, but Weavile quickly skated around and jumped.

"What's up?" he greeted. Drifblim was taken by surprise, and he used that to his advantage. His right claw glowed purple and he used Night Slash, sending Drifblim crashing into Mismagius.

"Ice Beam!" the challengers ordered. Their Pokémon fired, and the attacks hit the Ghost types. They crashed to the ground. Drifblim fainted, but Mismagius still had some fight in her as she picked herself up. Plans were cut short, though, when Weavile flew right into her with another Night Slash, and this brought her back to the ground in the same state as her teammate.

"Drifblim and Mismagius are unable to battle, Weavile and Empoleon win!" the ref declared. "And the match goes to the challengers Paul and Haley!"

"Alright!" Haley cheered. Empoleon, unsurprisingly, puffed his chest out. Weavile silently celebrated so that Paul wouldn't notice. And said Trainer nodded.

Fantina, meanwhile, carefully walked over to her Pokémon. "You two were  _magnifique_ ," she complimented. "Now get some rest." She returned the two Ghost types and then carefully walked off the ice just as the opposing Pokémon did. She giggled. "You two have made it hard to walk over my Gym floor," she commented as she approached the victors.

"Sorry," Haley replied.

The Gym Leader laughed. "No, no, it is quite alright," she assured. "You two put on quite the performance, not to mention you were both fantastically strong. All of your Pokémon were admirably strong, and I could not be happier to say that." She looked to her referee. "Hans?"

"Of course, milady." He presented the teens with Relic Badges, and they took the small metal badge that looked like a ghostly aura.

"I believe you two have definitely earned the Relic Badge," Fantina stated.

The victors turned to her. "Thank you," Haley said with a smile. Paul bowed.

"Congratulations, you two," Carlos spoke up from behind. They turned once more to meet with Paul's family. "That was some pretty good teamwork out there."

"Better than his last attempt at teamwork," Haley muttered. She suddenly found herself on the floor. "It's true!" she shouted as she looked at Paul.

"You don't have to remind me," Paul mumbled.

Because he was already failing of doing so himself.

_Then Chimchar would be useless._

_We could have killed Chimchar!_

It had taken everything in his power to try and not think about the last time he had been in Hearthome City.

_You're out of here._

_I don't_ want  _another Fire type!_

But when Haley had brought up the idea of a double battle, he couldn't help but think about it just a tiny bit.

_I don't remember doing anything else wrong!_

He knew he should be scolded for his behavior those three days, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

_This represents friendship!_

_Your point?_

_You don't want friends, Paul,_ FINE _!_

Couldn't he, for once, when he was in this city, not be reminded of painful memories?

_Would you like to come see me battle for the Brave Symbol?_

Just once?

"Father." The sound of his cousin's voice made Paul realize he had been tuning out his aunt and uncle's praise. He looked to see Trey looking at Carlos. "Do you think we should treat them to dinner, as a celebration?"

Everyone looked at him, and after a while Carlos beamed. "I think that's an excellent idea," he agreed.

"Ooo, I have an idea!" Beverly piped up. "I've heard of an amazing steakhouse called The Blue Bayou."

Paul's eyes widened in shock and Haley panicked. "But that's a 5-star restaurant!" she argued. "That's way too expensive! I don't want to make you guys spend that much money!"

"Don't worry about it, dear," Beverly assured. "It's no trouble." Carlos nodded.

"I don't even have something to wear to a place that nice!" Haley countered. Paul seconded that.

"That won't be any trouble, either," Carlos stated.

"Look, Uncle, this is a really nice offer, but-" Paul was cut off when Carlos placed his hands on the teen's shoulders.

"Paul, I understand your discomfort," he began, "but it's only one night. Come on, let your aunt and I spoil you a little."

The two friends looked at each other, a little uncertain. But they caved in. "I guess," Haley answered.

Carlos smiled. "Perfect!" he exclaimed.

"I agree!" Fantina chimed in. "A wonderful dinner for such wonderful Trainers,  _non_?" Then she smiled. "You know, food always reminds me of traveling, and after this battle, I feel like traveling again."

"But...milady, you just came back," Hans informed.

" _Oui, oui,_ but this battle has made me want to brush up my battling style." Paul noticed Hans sigh in defeat. "I think I'll leave tomorrow and travel to Celestic Town. I hear they are having a Contest up there, and I wish to see it. And I have always wanted to visit the Ruins there."

Haley turned to her. "There are ruins?" she asked.

Fantina nodded. "They are right behind the Historical Research Center," she explained.

The girl's eyes shined brightly. "Yes, we can go," Paul said.

"I didn't say anything."

"You were going to, so I answered so you didn't squeal out an unnecessary and stupid question." Haley huffed.

"Well, wherever you go, I wish you good luck," Fantina told them.

"Thank you," Haley replied as the group began to leave.

" _Au revoir_!" the Gym Leader called after them, waving.

Beverly decided to go shopping for her nephew and Haley. The Saffron City Trainer was about to go with her, but the woman stated she didn't need to and explained she could just tell what size she was. So as she walked off, the rest of the group decided to head to the hotel Carlos and his family were staying at. "Just let her be," Carlos advised. "Otherwise, I don't think you'd survive."

Haley chuckled, and the two began talking about battle strategies or something like that. "Trey," Paul addressed his cousin, getting his attention. "Why did you suggest this?"

"You looked out of it," Trey explained. "After Haley's comment, you just looked like you were lost in space. I know rich people things aren't your thing, but I wanted to see if I could at least try and cheer you up."

Paul looked surprised, and then he smirked. "You? Do something nice for me?" he questioned. "Who are you, and what have you done with my spoiled brat of a cousin?"

"Keep talking, asshole."

The four reached the hotel, and went into the elevator to go to the eleventh floor. That kind of freaked Haley out, but Carlos reassured her that she would be fine. "Besides, the view is spectacular at night," he added. Haley nodded slowly. When the elevator doors opened up on the floor, Carlos revealed that they had two rooms. Originally Trey had one all to himself, but - after about five minutes - his father convinced him to let the travelers take it over and have Trey sleep in the other room with his parents. Trey went to retrieve his things, and the friends threw their bags onto the floor. Haley marveled at the beautiful-looking room, and then sat down on the bed farthest from the window.

"Wow, these are comfy," she noted. She kicked off her shoes and brought her feet onto the bed. "...Hey Paul."

He turned to her. "Yeah?"

"I'm...sorry for what I said...back at the Gym," she apologized. "It was uncalled for, and I shouldn't have said it." Paul didn't say anything. Neither of them did for a while. "Do you...regret not staying in Mismagius' world?"

"What would make you think that?"

"I mean, you could have lived the life you always dreamed," she explained. "Your mother was there...and Reggie still battled...and I bet, if I hadn't physically been there, you would have someone like me who doesn't yell at you or makes you do things you don't want to do or even-"

"Haley," he interrupted. He sat down next to her and looked her in the eye. They just stared at each other until finally Paul smirked. "Has anyone ever told you that you sometimes talk too much?" Haley looked appalled, but before she could say anything, he continued. "What did I tell you when we were sitting by the lake?"

She blinked. "That I was important to you," she recalled.

Paul nodded. "I don't say things I don't mean," he told her. "And...thanks for today. I wish someone like you were there when I battled Morty. It probably wouldn't have taken me three tries, then." Haley smiled. "One day, though, I'll be able to do it on my own."

"I believe you will," Haley agreed.

He gave off a tiny smile to that.


	21. Fancy Fluff

**A/N: Not going to lie, guys, I don't think this is my best chapter. But hey, hopefully you enjoy some of it.**

* * *

 

Paul looked in the mirror and frowned, and then looked at his uncle. "So...remind me why I'm doing this again?" he asked.

"Because we pestered you until you couldn't say no, Shin," Carlos laughed.

The Veilstone Trainer sighed and looked back at his reflection. Knowing he would want to go as casual as he could, Aunt Beverly had bought him a gray, black, and white plaid flannel jacket (buttons 3/4th of the way up after being ordered to do so by his uncle) with a black t-shirt underneath. He had blue jeans on and black loafers. Meanwhile, his uncle was able to get away with wearing his usual outfit, just a less worn out version of it. Paul admitted to himself that he was jealous. "You know, if you keep having that scowl on your face, it'll just stick that way forever," Trey chimed in. Paul looked over to see that his cousin was also done changing, now donning a light blue suit with a black long sleeve underneath and his trademark brown dress shoes.

"And if you keep wearing all of that fancy crap, you'll turn into a rich snob." Then Paul thought. "Oh wait, you already are."

Trey growled, and Carlos sighed. "Come on, you two, don't fight," he stated. The cousins huffed. "Let's go check on the girls." The boys grumbled in response, and Carlos sighed again. He walked out of the room and over to the one next door, with the two teens behind him. "Honey, are you ready?" he asked as he knocked on the door.

"Coming, dear," Beverly responded. She opened the door, wearing a red jacket, a white shirt underneath, a red knee length skirt, and red flats. Her light brown hair was tied up in a bun, and she was beaming. "Are you ready to see our star for the evening?" she asked. Beverly then pulled Haley out into the hallway.

Paul was pretty certain he momentarily forgot how to function.

Haley was wearing a knee length black dress that had one-inch straps. Around her waist was a white cloth belt, and she wore a white knitted jacket where the sleeves went to her elbows. Her neck donned a necklace with a silver chain link holding a purple gemstone. Black flats were on her feet, and her hair was out of its ponytail, full of curls. To finish everything off, she was blushing, mostly likely at Beverly's comment. "Please don't say things like that," she begged quietly.

Beverly smiled. "Why not, dear? I think you look gorgeous." She turned to the other three. "Right, boys?"

Carlos nodded and smiled as well. "You look really nice, Haley," he complimented.

"Y-yeah," Trey agreed, not really knowing what to say. Paul, meanwhile, was still trying to figure out where his voice had gone.

The center of attention cleared her throat. "Well, are we going to go to dinner?" she asked. "I'm getting hungry."

"Read my mind," Carlos laughed. Beverly laughed as well and took her place beside her husband. Trey, still unsure of what to say, followed his parents down the hallway, keeping his eye on his cousin's friend. Said cousin was finally moving again, but only then it was slowly running his fingers through his hair to refocus himself. Haley walked up to him.

"Ready?" she asked.

Paul didn't answer for a while since his brain was still trying to start up. "Uh..." he said stupidly.  _Come on, you idiot, pull yourself together!_ "Y-yeah," he finally answered. The girl smiled and began to walk after the three, and Paul followed behind her, inspecting every inch of her. Through the knitted jacket, he noticed the back of the dress showed skin until about halfway. He gulped and tried to focus his mind on something else. That was when he noticed something wrong: Haley wasn't wearing her glove. All infatuation that stopped full function melted away as he ran up beside her. "Why aren't you wearing your glove?" he questioned.

Haley looked at him. "You noticed?"

"How could I not?" he replied. "It's as much of a staple as my jacket, except your glove is mandatory. So, come on, answer me."

She studied the scar on her palm. "Well, it's more sporty than fancy," she explained.

" _That's_ your reason?"

"Look, it's just this once, and I won't need my left hand for anything anyway."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Go get it," he demanded.

"I said-"

"But what if you do?"

"I won't-"

"Go  _get_ it."

"Is everything okay back there?" Beverly asked. The two teens looked to see that the family had reached the elevator and was looking at them.

Haley smiled at her. "Nope, we're all good," she reported. Paul was about to say otherwise, but her fingers gently intertwining with his shut him up.  _Damn it, she's good._

"Good," Beverly replied, smiling as well. The three turned, and that was when Paul glared at Haley.

"I hate you," he whispered harshly.

In response, she just giggled. "I wish I could have taken a picture of your face earlier," she stated.

Paul's jaw flew open and his face felt hot. And when he looked away, his mouth might have been closed but he wasn't losing heat any time soon. "That doesn't change how I feel about you," he grumbled. Haley giggled again.

After another (scary) ride on the elevator, the group made their way through the city nightlife. Dinner dates, movies, and Amity Square night walks were aplenty, and there were only one or two clubs thanks to Hearthome's more family-friendly nature. The weather was nice as well; it had just the right amount of chill for an almost-end-of-autumn night, and it was completely cloudless as well. "It feels so good out here," Haley voiced.

"I agree," Carlos stated. He looked up at the night sky. "This reminds me of quite a few of my travels."

"Dear," Beverly sighed warningly.

Her husband laughed. "What? I can't reminisce? Don't worry, Beverly, I keep my promises."

"Father promised he wouldn't travel for at least a year," Trey whispered to the other teens. Haley nodded in understanding, but Paul was about to voice how stupid that was. The only thing that stopped him was the 5-star restaurant coming into view. As he looked at the building, he thought about how he would much rather be participating in a Pokémon League at the moment. He hoped, as they walked in, that there would be such a long wait that they would decide to leave. But then he remembered this was Aunt Beverly he was with; she would have gotten reservations the minute she left the group, even before she went shopping. Lo and behold, he was right. A reservation for the five had been in place, and as they were led to a table, he felt the invasion of the Butterfrees once more. He eyed Haley, who was sitting on his right.

Clearly the Bug-Flying type had swarmed her stomach as well.

"Beverly, I really don't think this sits well with me," Haley voiced, her right hand nervously playing with the hem of her dress.

The woman smiled. "I've told you, dear, don't worry about anything," she assured.

Haley nodded slowly, but from Paul's view, it wasn't the price that was concerning her anymore. If there was anything bugging her, it was how out of place she felt. He was in the same boat as her...well, mostly. Because, not only was he out of his element, but...Haley...she was just too adorable. Her mouth was curved into a small shy frown as her eyes scanned the restaurant like a little kid. Paul had never seen her shy before.

He suddenly wished to see it more.

Paul was half paying attention when he ordered just water, and paying even less when his aunt ordered an appetizer, which he had paid zero attention to what it actually was. What finally pulled him back to reality was Trey tugging on his sleeve. He turned to his left to face the light purple-haired teen. "Look, if you're going to practically drool over her, just kiss her," he whispered.

"I can't do that!" Paul whispered back in a panic, his face heating up due to the fact his cousin caught him.

"Why not?" Trey questioned. "She's your girlfriend, right?"

"No she's not!"

"Who's not what?" Haley asked.

 _Shit!_ Paul whipped around to look at her, now out of her shy phase. "It's nothing," he informed, stuttering as he did.

Haley tilted her head in confusion. As if Paul needed another reason to find her adorable tonight. "Are you sure?"

"I agree, dear," Beverly voiced. "You look flushed. You're not getting a fever, are you?"

 _Right now, I wish._ "No, Aunt Beverly, I'm just fine," he answered. The two women didn't look convinced but decided to drop it. Trey sighed, mostly to himself, but Paul heard it. And out of the corner of his eye, he saw Carlos chuckle, making that same eye twitch in annoyance.

Their waiter came back with the appetizer that Beverly had ordered, which Paul finally learned was a bowl of Chipotle Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese. Meanwhile, everyone ordered their entrée. "I'll take the Newport Filet Mignon," Haley stated. Paul raised an eyebrow at her, but she either didn't see it or ignored it.

"Your order?" the waiter asked Paul. Once again, he had been caught staring at his friend like a moron; at least this time it wasn't because of infatuation.

"Bone-in Rib Eye," Paul answered unenthusiastically.

The orders went around, and this time Haley stared at Paul. "Are you absolutely sure you're okay?" she clarified.

"Yes, I'm fine," he sighed. "I'm more concerned about you. You do realize you have to  _cut_ a filet mignon, right?"

"I can use my right hand," Haley countered.

"But how are you going to keep it stable?"

"Look, I'll be fine." Paul rolled his eyes. "I'm serious."

Paul didn't believe it, but decided to let it rest. After the waiter left, Carlos split the Macaroni between everyone, and when Paul took a bite, he found it tasted really, really good. If there was one plus to being in a 5-star restaurant, it was that you be guaranteed something extra delicious. "So, Haley, I haven't heard much about you," Beverly piped up after about a minute.

Haley put her fork down slowly and once again played with the hem of her dress. "Are you sure you won't find it egotistical if I do?" she asked.

"Of course not," Carlos replied. Trey nodded.

"Well..." She bit her lip in thought. "Let's see...to be honest, my life is kind of normal. I mean, I lived in Saffron City with my two brothers - one older and one younger - and my parents. My older brother is five years older than me, and my younger brother is three years younger than me. My parents enrolled my brothers and I in Trainer's School because they didn't want us to sit around and do nothing all day."  _So I'm the only one here who hasn't gone to school,_ Paul thought.  _Not like it matters. I know just as much as either of them._ "School is where I met my best friend Brandi," Haley continued. "She's a Coordinator. I think she's traveling through Johto right now."

Trey hummed in thought. "What's her last name?" he asked.

"Thompson," Haley informed.

"Oh yeah, I've seen her before," Trey recalled. "Sometimes when I'm watching TV I'll happen to catch a Contest, and she's been in a few. Long red hair and copper colored eyes, right?"

Haley nodded. "She's a bit of a ditz sometimes, but she's an awesome friend," she stated. Then she giggled. "One time we were making small cakes for a class party, and she was bringing in the last one. Brandi accidentally tripped over her own two feet and fell down, and she ended up smashing the cake with her face. Luckily for her it was her favorite, a strawberry and Mago Berry combo, but that also meant she had less cake than the rest of us. And some of the frosting was in her hair, too, so she ended up with the nickname Frosty."

Paul and Trey huffed in amusement, Carlos chuckled, and Beverly giggled. "Do you have any other friends?" the woman asked.

"A few," Haley answered. "But I don't keep in contact with them as much as Brandi." Paul could have sworn that, for a moment, she looked melancholy. Yet it was gone so fast he wasn't entirely sure. Right after their food came out, and the smell of it entered Paul's nose. Yep, definitely 5-star quality, and he hadn't even tried it. When Haley was handed her food, he eyed her as she held the knife in her right hand and very loosely held her fork in the left. She tried to cut it, obviously trying to prove Paul wrong, but the filet kept slipping around her plate. He sighed.

"Seriously, this is why I told you to get your glove," he mumbled.

His friend didn't reply, still going at her useless endeavors. Then she slowly put the utensils down. "...Paul?" she began quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I need help," she admitted, sounding like a child.

Paul sighed again. "Sure," he replied. He moved her plate in front of him and cut the meat for her. "Maybe next time you'll listen to me when I tell you to do something beneficial."

"Haley, what's wrong?" Carlos asked.

"My left hand is extremely sensitive," Haley explained, slightly ashamed. "So I have to wear a padded glove."

"That black fingerless glove?" Beverly confirmed.

"...Yeah."

The older female gasped. "Dear, I didn't realize," she stated. "But why didn't you tell me?"

"She told you to take it off?" Paul questioned. She nodded slowly, and he sighed a third time as he returned her plate to its rightful place. "Haley, really?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized quietly.

"Whatever," Paul huffed as he went to cut his own entrée.

There was silence. "You're mad at me, aren't you?" Haley mumbled.

Paul huffed again and set his fork and knife down so they hit the plate with a slight  _CLANG_. "Mad, no," he stated. "Annoyed and concerned, yes. Haley, you said yourself that you're required to wear that glove. I get it doesn't look 'fancy', but that shouldn't matter."

Haley hung her head. "Sorry, Haley," Beverly said. "I wish I would have known."

"Yeah," Haley agreed. "I should have thought that through." She took a bite of the meat in front of her, and her eyes widened. "Wow, this is good!" she proclaimed. "Guess there's a reason this is a 5-star restaurant." The adults grinned, and everyone dug into their food while Haley and the two adults talked about the Trainer's endeavors. But Paul wasn't paying much attention; he suspected that Haley was still feeling down. His suspicions rose when, just a few seconds after she had cleared her plate, she piped up, "I need to go to the bathroom" and got up. Paul watched her go, and after a full two minutes he got up as well.

"Where are you going, Shin?" Carlos asked.

"I know she's lying," he replied and walked after her, leaving his confused family members at the table.

Sure enough, he found her leaning against the wall, her right hand covering her eyes. For the fourth time he sighed. Hearing him, Haley's hand flew away from her face and her head snapped up to look at him. "Paul, w-what are you doing here?"

He walked in front of her, and he watched as her head turned so she was always looking at him. "Coming to check on you," he informed. "Look, I told you I wasn't mad, and I mean it. I get why you did this, but it's just a tad frustrating."

"I know, okay?" Haley shot back at him, sounding just as frustrated and annoyed as he felt. "I get it, I don't think things through and I'm an idiot for doing so."

 _Is she seriously pulling this?_ Paul thought. He huffed and ran with it anyway. "No one said you're an idiot," he pointed out. "And you do think things through-"

" _No_ , I don't," she interrupted. "It's because I didn't think through that I have this scar in the first place. It's because I didn't think through that I'm now afraid of heights. It's because I didn't think through that I ruined their-" She stopped, her eyes widening at what she just said.

Paul's face went from slightly annoyed to complete concern. "Haley, is there something you want to talk about?" he asked.

She shook her head slowly. "No," she answered softly. "Please, just...forget I said anything."

"But-"

" _Please_."

He couldn't stand his ground when looking into her scared, begging eyes, so he sighed a fifth time - this time in defeat - and ran his fingers through his hair. "Fine," he agreed. "Will you tell me sometime in the future, though?" She looked even more scared, but Paul didn't back down on this one. "I've told you my past. Don't you think it would be fair?"

Haley opened her mouth to protest; all that came out was a sigh. "I guess," she admitted. Paul then pulled her into a hug, and she looked at him, slightly surprised.

"I also want to hear because I care," he stated. "You said you'd be there for me. I want to be here for you."

"Paul, I..." A small smile, an actually genuine smile since she talked about her best friend, graced her features. "Thank you," she whispered.

He smiled as well, and it went even bigger when she leaned her head on his chest. They stayed in that position for a couple of minutes, maybe a little more than that, until Paul gently grabbed her chin and moved it she that she was looking at him. Arceus, she looked so beautiful, so adorable, so perfect, so-

"Hey Paul, is everything-" The friends snapped their heads towards Trey, who had not only stopped walking but talking as well. "Am I...interrupting something?" he asked.

Let's see...well, the toilets were close by, so he could dunk his cousin's head into the water. Or maybe go back to the table, grab the steak knife, and stab him. Either way sounded good to Paul, because he was  _pissed_ that a chance slipped away from him... _again_. "No, everything's fine," Haley reported, once again seemingly oblivious to what could have taken place. "Come on, Paul, your aunt and uncle must be getting worried."

"Whatever," he grumbled.

"What got into you all of a sudden?"

Paul didn't answer, making Haley huff and walk past him and his cousin. Trey watched her go before stating, "I interrupted something."

"You think?" Paul questioned before walking after the girl, "accidentally" bumping Trey's shoulder in the process. The teen growled. "Whoops, my bad," the offender apologized sarcastically. Once again, he got a growl as a response.

"Hey, Paul," Carlos called out when the two boys reached the table. "Is everything all right?" A "yes" from Paul and a "no" from Trey was the answer, leaving the adults confused once more, although Haley was confused as well. Just as the two boys were about to sit down, someone suddenly threw themselves onto Paul and embraced him, causing him to stumble back to regain his balance. He looked and bit back a curse as he stared at the unfortunately familiar brown-haired and green-eyes girl.

"I knew I saw my knight!" Karina squealed as she snuggled into Paul's chest.

Trey gave the scene a "what the fuck" look, and of course the adults were beyond confused. Meanwhile, Haley looked like she was about to explode in anger towards her cousin until Paul motioned her to hide. She rolled her eyes but ducked under the table. "What are you doing here?" Paul asked, trying his very best to not sound annoyed. He was definitely not Reggie when it came to faking acceptance.

"Looking for my cousin, silly," she giggled. "When we were exploring the city, I looked into the restaurant and saw you." Karina squeezed him harder. "I'm so glad I did! I missed you!"

"Yeah that's...great," Paul choked out, slowly losing air. He moved his arms to grab her shoulders and pushed her away slightly. He took a breath and then turned her around. "Look, this is nice and all," he lied as he began to lead her towards the exit, "but why don't we take this outside?"

Karina beamed. "That sounds amazing!" she exclaimed. "Walking through Hearthome City in the cool night air-" She stopped voicing her romantic ideas and looked back at Paul. "Wait, where's my cousin? She's with you, right?"

 _Ah, damn it,_ Paul thought. "She's somewhere," he answered.

"Is she hiding?"

 _Damn it, damn it, damn it!_ "You should go, now," Paul advised too harshly.

"She  _is_ here!" Karina realized. "Mom, Dad!"

 _CRAP!_ With a heavy shove he pushed Karina out of the restaurant just as Shannon, Greg, and Colin appeared in front of the entrance.  _And here comes the cavalry,_ Paul thought with distaste. He knew that if the Lowells were allowed to bring out their Pokémon, there would be chaos. So he figured to push them out more with his own. Thanking himself for secretly bringing his belt, he grabbed two Poké Balls and shouted "Magmar, Electabuzz, stand by for battle!"

"Um, sir, you can't battle in here," the hostess informed as the two Pokémon materialized.

"I'm trying to  _prevent_ a battle from happening in here!" Paul informed in annoyance. "Magmar, Flamethrower! Electabuzz, Thunder!" His Pokémon attacked, causing the Lowells to back up in order to avoid the projectiles.

"Way to go, moron," Colin snapped.

Karina huffed. "What about last week when you tackled that random girl who didn't even look like her?" she retorted.

"You're both morons, now can you just leave?!" Paul shouted.

"I've told you before, boy," Shannon spat, "that no one messes with the Ore Family and gets away with it! Besides, we aren't leaving without my niece!"

"I believe we have a higher chance of succeeding this time, my dear, seeing as how we only have to deal with only the boy," Greg analyzed.

Shannon laughed. "I agree!" she exclaimed.

 _Underestimate me, will they?_ "You want to prove that point?" Paul challenged.

Surprisingly enough, Karina was the one to take on his challenge. She sent out her Mawile. "Sure, Cutie," Karina agreed with a wink.

Colin sighed but sent out his Steelix. "I'll take you on too!" he shouted.

Paul smirked. "If I remember from last time, you didn't last twenty seconds," he sneered.

That pissed off the younger boy. "Sis, I need cover!"

"Right!" She smiled at Paul. "Sorry, my knight, but we're actually very tactical. We just acted on brute force last time, and admittedly that was out of character. Now you'll see what we're really capable of! Mawile, Sandstorm!" The Deceiver Pokémon whipped up a sandstorm, causing the three opponents to cover their eyes in protection. Paul was able to get a peak and noticed that Steelix was using Stone Edge. Against Electabuzz, that wouldn't be too bad, but against Magmar...this was going to be bad.

And then, something completely, almost unbelievable, happened.

A Hydro Pump and a Flamethrower flew past him and stopped the stones from hitting his Pokémon. Paul was surprised, and even more so when the sand disappeared and was replaced by...rain? But there hadn't been a cloud in the sky. He thought about his uncle. Maybe Carlos secretly brought his Pokémon as well. Paul then recalled what Pokémon the older male had brought. Besides Rapidash (and this mysterious Pokémon, as far as he knew), all of his Pokémon could but hadn't learned Rain Dance. So then maybe it was Aunt Beverly's Granbull? No, she didn't know Rain Dance, either. Not to mention Aunt Beverly never sent Granbull out to battle. And Haley was ruled out immediately because none of her Pokémon were there, nor did any of them know Rain Dance...or Hydro Pump, he realized. Even if one of his uncle's Pokémon knew Rain Dance, none of them could learn Hydro Pump. That was when a Milotic slithered up to his right, next to Electabuzz. Meanwhile, an Arcanine took its place next to Magmar on the left. And the mysterious Trainer ran up next to Paul.

The Veilstone Trainer certainly didn't expect the person he saw to be the owner.

"What is with you and staring like an idiot tonight?" Trey insulted.

That snapped Paul out of it. "Well excuse me for seeing the unexpected," he huffed.

"I'll explain later," his cousin stated. "Right now we have to focus on getting rid of these guys." Paul nodded.

Meanwhile, Karina wasn't pleased that Rain Dance had negated her Sandstorm. "Mawile, use Sand-"

"If you do that, I'll just use Rain Dance again," Trey interrupted. His mouth formed an awkward smirk (since he had never done one before) as he continued. "And since you used your move first, you'll run out before I do."

Karina growled. "It would still be nice if the rain disappeared so Fire type moves had full effectiveness," Paul whispered.

"Oh, so would you rather our Pokémon be constantly hurt?"

Paul didn't answer. "Fair enough," he finally said. Then he remembered a bonus for having Rain Dance in effect. "Electabuzz, use Thunder!" With 100% accuracy, the attack raced towards Mawile.

"Steelix, jump in front of Mawile!" Colin ordered.

"Milotic, use Aqua Tail on Steelix!" The Tender Pokémon jumped into the path of the Steel-Ground type and slammed its tail down onto it. Thunder, meanwhile, connected with its target, making Karina growl once more.

"Mom, Dad, if you're not too busy standing there like slack-jawed idiots, we could use your help!" she snapped.

"That's no way to talk to your parents!" Shannon scolded but proceeded to release her Magnezone anyway. "Zap Cannon on that meddling Milotic!" she commanded.

"Intercept that with Flamethrower, Magmar!" Paul shouted. The fire collided with the giant ball of electricity.

"Skarmory, use Rock Tomb," Greg told his Pokémon.

"Arcanine, Thunder Fang!" The Fire type ran as fast as it could and lunged at the Armor Bird Pokémon. It chomped down with its fangs coursing with electricity, and Skarmory cried out in pain.

Karina cried out herself, although hers was in frustration. "Why can't you just let us get to my cousin?!" she exclaimed.

"Like I would just hand her over!" Paul retorted. "Electabuzz, use Thunder again!"

"Milotic, Dragon Pulse!" As the two gathered energy, the cousins looked at each other. "We need to get rid of them."

Paul nodded. "Does Arcanine know Sunny Day?" Now Trey nodded. "Wait until Electabuzz fires his Thunder, and then use it. Got it?" After another nod, Paul returned his attention back to the battle. "Now Electabuzz!" His Electric type fired, hitting and affecting all of the Ore Family (save for Steelix, though it was affected by the Dragon Pulse Milotic quickly fired). "Trey!"

"On it! Arcanine, use Sunny Day!" Arcanine looked up to the sky and fired a white orb, causing all of the rain clouds to disappear and be replaced by an artificial sun.

"Flamethrower!" both teens ordered, and their respective Fire types obeyed. When all four attacks collided, they ended up with an explosion that once again sent the Lowells flying into the night sky.

"What a bad feeling!" they cried as they flew, soon followed by a twinkle. The cousins breathed out a sigh of relief as the "sun" disappeared and Haley ran outside to meet up with them.

"Thanks, both of you," she stated. "But Trey, I didn't know you battled."

Trey scratched the back of his head. "I don't battle like you two do," he corrected. "In fact, I really don't battle at all. But Arcanine and Milotic kind of forced me to at least try training them."

"Where did you even find them?" Paul inquired.

"Well, about five or six years ago, I was walking home from school one day when a woman walked up to me and told me that she didn't have enough money, and therefore couldn't take care of the Pokémon she had," Trey explained. "The two she showed me were Growlithe and Feebas, so I decided to take them. But I also kept them hidden because...well..." Paul knew why; it was the same reason he and Reggie ran away, but it was even worse in Trey's case, seeing as how he  _wanted_ the position. "I just didn't want Father to assume I wanted to be a Trainer," he continued, lying through his teeth for Paul's sake, although what he said could have been slightly true in its own right.

Haley smiled. "I'm sure he wouldn't force you," she assured.

The teen smiled as well and nodded. "Right," he agreed. "Well, now both of you have met my two best friends."

"Thank you very much, you two," Haley told them, smiling even bigger.

"Glad to help," they answered. Haley walked up to pet Arcanine.

"Why did you even have them on you?" Paul asked as his friend gave the two Pokémon some attention.

"I never go anywhere without them," Trey replied. "Why did you have yours?"

"Just in case," Paul responded. Then he faced his cousin. "So...I want an apology."

Trey looked at him quizzically. "For what?"

"For calling me a barbarian and a delinquent."

His cousin now stared at him blankly. "Uh...sorry for calling you a delinquent."

"And...?"

"I don't fight like you do, therefore I wasn't hypocritical when I called you a barbarian."

Paul glared at him, causing Trey to glare back. "...Jackass," they insulted. There was a huff, and the boys turned to see Haley roll her eyes.

"Seriously, are you two  _ever_ going to stop?" she questioned. "You were doing so well."

The cousins eyed each other. "Honestly, I think it's just a habit at this point," Paul stated, making Haley huff again. But Trey gave off another awkward and amused smirk. The boys returned their Pokémon. "Come on, let's go back inside." And so they did.

"Now maybe we can have some dessert without being interrupted," Carlos commented when the three approached the table once more. With smiles (or in Paul's case, a smirk) all around, they filed back into the booth. "Although, I didn't realize you had Pokémon, Trey."

His son looked into his lap. "Sorry, Father," he apologized. "I just figured you would want me to be a Trainer like you, and I don't want to be."

Carlos looked at the teen seriously. "Trey, I would never force you to do something you wouldn't want to do," he stated. "I'll support you with anything you do, you know that." Beverly agreed, and Trey smiled. Paul found himself slightly jealous, but when Carlos looked at him and smiled, a little bit of that ugly feeling slipped away.

The waiter came back to their table, and the five ordered their own desserts. As soon as he left, Paul was about to explain who the Lowells were, but it turned out Haley had already done so, and that was why Trey ran out to help. "Though, dear, you never really told us why they're after you," Beverly said.

Haley told them of her abilities. "But don't ask me exactly what they want to do with me, because even I'm not sure," she finished, sighing.

The three laughed. "Well, we all know what that Karina girl wants," Trey joked, smiling evilly at Paul. That got a glare and the return of Paul's evil thoughts.

"I really don't care for you right now," Paul muttered. But for once, his cousin just laughed it off.

All five desserts came out quickly, and without asking, Paul took a spoonful of Haley's crème brûlée. "Hey!" she snapped and tried to grab his spoon.

He smirked as he kept it out of her reach. "This is my payment," he told her. He finally stopped teasing her by just putting the spoon his mouth and eating the dessert. Haley puffed her cheeks out, and then eyed his cheesecake. "Oh no you don't, not unless you do something for me." She opened her mouth, and then closed it as she thought of something to do. Apparently while she was thinking, it became just a bit too warm, so she slipped her jacket off. Paul's smirk dropped and his brain shut down once more. That one simple change made Haley less adorable and more sexy. "Never mind," he mumbled. "Just...take a small bite." She grinned with joy and took a small chunk from the slice.

"Do you think that was her plan?" Trey, who had been watching, whispered. Paul looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Then he looked back at Haley and was surprised to see her with the spoon still in her mouth, but it was upside down and she was giving a sexy smirk. He gulped.

 _Damn it,_ he thought.  _She's really, really good._

...

After sleeping the night at the hotel, the two travelers got themselves ready. "Can we stop by the Pokémon Center before we go?" Haley asked. "I want to send the outfit to my mom."

Paul looked at her. "Why not keep it?" he asked.

"I'd rather have space for things I know I'll need?" she pointed out.  _Obviously,_ Paul thought.  _Jeez I'm dumb._

There was a knock at the door, and after a few seconds Carlos entered. "You two ready to go?" he asked.

"Yep!" Haley answered enthusiastically, slipping her backpack on. "All set!"

The man smiled. "Alright then," he said. "We'll go down to the lobby with you."

Everyone went down the elevator (Haley sighed in relief that it was the last time she had to do so). "Thank you for yesterday," she told the adults after being out of the car for a minute.

"Any time," Beverly replied with a smile. "Thank you both for putting on an entertaining show." Haley beamed and Paul nodded (although he didn't quite like the fact that his battle had been called a show).

"Hey Paul." Said teen turned to his cousin, who had an outstretched hand. "Somewhat truce?"

The Veilstone Trainer looked at the hand and then, with a smirk, grabbed it with his own. "Somewhat truce," he promised.

"Good for you two," Carlos laughed. "So, Celestic Town is next, right?"

"We'll pass through Solaceon Town first," Haley told him. "Then once we check the Ruins, we're going to..."

"Canalave City," Paul finished.

"Yeah, there."

Paul's family laughed. "You know, the Canalave Gym is a Steel type Gym," Carlos informed, smiling mischievously.

Haley figured where he was going with that, and she groaned. "My family is so weird," she muttered.

"Mine is weirder," Paul countered.

His friend raised an eyebrow at him. "Does your family have a mecha created to capture you?" she questioned.

"No, but-"

"Then mine is weirder."

She did have a point. "Okay, let's factor out the mecha," Paul proposed. "If we do that, then mine is definitely weirder than yours."

"I disagree."

"I do too," Trey piped up. "I take offense to your comment."

"You live in a family where your mother's side owns a clothing company," Paul informed.  _And where your father's owns the biggest technology company in the world,_ he added in his head.

Haley began to walk towards the front door. "My younger brother thinks guacamole goes great with churros," she countered.

Paul smirked and began to follow her. "My brother once thought it was a good idea to open a bag of flour over the kitchen floor while on the phone."

"Uncle Ted can lick his foot."

"Uncle Carlos can sleep battle."

"See you two later!" said uncle and his aunt called out to them as they exited.

They looked back to wave before continuing on. "My mom talks to inanimate objects as if they're alive when she's stressed," Haley informed.

"Aunt Beverly shops when she's stressed," Paul pointed out.

"My aunt, uncle, and cousins  _try to **capture**  me_," Haley stressed. "You have nothing to that. Admit it."

Paul sighed with a smile on his face and held his hands up in defeat. "Fine, you win," he agreed.

Haley nodded. "See? It's much easier to just agree with me," she stated.

"Oh really?"

"Don't make me go into the reasons why." Paul chuckled, and for a while they continued to the Pokémon Center in silence. "Hey, Paul." He looked at her, noticing she seemed shy for some reason. "I...forgot to mention this last night, but you...you looked h...handsome." She blushed and fiddled with her fingers.

Paul, meanwhile, looked away, feeling his face heat up immensely. He cleared his throat and looked back at her. "Thanks," he told her. Then he gave off a small smile. "You looked good yourself." She looked at him with an unreadable face, but then offered him a sweet smile. She folded her hands behind her and seemed to have an extra bounce in her step as they continued to the Pokémon Center. Paul smiled a tad bigger.

Maybe a fancy night wasn't so bad every once in a while.

* * *

 

**A/N: Like I said, I don't think is my greatest, but I hope you guys had some fun with it.**

**Also, my wonderful friend ugokanai has created more art for this series. This time it's a character sheet of Haley, so go on over to my DA account zoraarmorlink or to her Tumblr. Do it. Cause she's a good artist. She was also the inspiration for the argument over who has the weirder family, because she and I were arguing over it ourselves.**


	22. Secrets

Paul's eyes shifted from the Dialga and Palkia statues to the stairs that led to the entrance of the Solaceon Ruins and rubbed his temple. They were supposed to be going to Celestic Town, right? So why were they standing here again? Oh yeah, because some guy had to blab about the ruins while they were in the Pokémon Center and Haley happened to overhear it. Not to mention she had to be something of a history nut and would not let any ruin slip away from her, especially since she hadn't realized they were there the first time she went through Solaceon Town. Paul frowned at the thought of the last time she had walked through this small town. "Oh, come on, Paul, it's just for a bit," Haley assured as she noticed the frown, but not realizing its true reason.

"Fine," he replied quietly. Haley seemed to finally understand what was actually eating at him and intertwined their fingers. He whipped his head to look at her, noticing she was wearing a reassuring but also slightly apologetic smile.

"Don't worry about that any more," she told him. "The past is the past, right? It already happened. Okay?"

He stared at his friend with a blank face for a while. Then he nodded slowly. "Okay," he repeated.

She beamed. "Good!" she exclaimed. "Let's get going, then!" She then proceeded to guide Paul as she ran up the stairs of the Solaceon Ruins. When they reached the entrance, Haley let go of Paul's hand so she could take off her backpack and grab her flashlight. She turned it on with a  _click_ and scanned the inside. The light hit the back wall, and something on it caught the eye of both Trainers. Haley, intrigued, ran towards it, with Paul following right behind her. He watched as she scanned the wall. "This writing looks familiar," she mumbled.

Paul studied the characters. "Don't they look like something from the Ruins of Alph?" he suggested.

"The Unown language!" Haley realized. She fumbled through her backpack again, quicker this time, and pulled out a notebook. She held it up, giving Paul the ability to see what it was: a translation of all the characters of the strange language. His friend began to mutter to herself as she translated it. "I think I've got it," she finally proclaimed. "Let's see...'Friendship...all lives touch other lives to create something anew and alive'." She looked to the other teen. "Doesn't that kind of sound like what Cynthia told us?"

 _When every life meets another life, something will be born,_ he remembered. "You know, I've been thinking about that," he stated. "Doesn't something also get destroyed when you meet someone?"

Haley looked to him, clearly asking for him to elaborate. But before he could, the ruins suddenly shook and everything took on a red glow. "What the-" The room was starting to darken, and she moved her flashlight around to find the reason why. "The stairs are closing the entrance?!" she exclaimed in disbelief. Paul looked to see she was right; the stairs were folding up and sealing the only way in and out. The ground rumbled once more, and the Trainers lost their balance. They began to slide down the smooth stone slopes...on opposite sides of the main hallway. Paul could have sworn he heard Haley cry out his name, but it was very distant by the time it reached his ears. Not to mention his mind was too focused on his trip down the slope. He reached for his belt and released Honchkrow. The Big Boss Pokémon stretched his wings but quickly realized that was a bad idea as Paul continued to rocket down the slope. Honchkrow zoomed after his Trainer and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket right before he reached the edge, leading to an at least ten-feet fall right onto solid stone.

Paul exhaled the breath he didn't realize he had been holding in. His Pokémon lowered him to the stone, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, the walls began to warp. Paul looked on with his face full of fear, and in response Honchkrow began to peck him. "Stop it!" he shouted, snapping out of his trance as he swatted his Dark-Flying type away. He glared at Honchkrow until he realized why the bird had done such a thing. His face softened slightly, but he was still a little ticked. "Next time try something else," he suggested before walking down the hallway. Honchkrow sighed and followed him, watching as Paul looked around. "What kind of place is this, anyway?" the Trainer questioned. Staircases were all over the place, reaching all the way up to a never-ending ceiling and all the way down to a never-ending floor. Each level had doorways that led...somewhere. Paul didn't know where to start. He poked his head into one of the doorways. "What the fuck?!" Honchkrow, curious, flew up next to him. He squawked in surprise. Beyond the doorway was an endless purple-and-red void with never-ending stairs as far as the eye could see. "How are we even suppose to get out of here?" he muttered. Paul backed out of the doorway. He saw another one farther down the hallway. Banking on hope that not every doorway led to the endless void, he briskly walked towards it with Honchkrow right behind him.

"And what do you hope to accomplish by walking around blindly?" a voice behind him piped up. Paul stopped and growled.  _Great, somehow_ he  _got stuck in here, too._

"Cyrus, I'm not in the mood," the teen grumbled.

"You're frustrated," the man noted.

"No, absolutely not," Paul hissed sarcastically. "Look, either be helpful for once or shut up and back off."

Cyrus was silent for a moment. "I choose to be helpful," he finally replied. "What if I told you I knew a way out of here?"

"I'd say there has to be a catch."

"Are you untrustworthy?"

"That's an understatement."

Paul heard a few footsteps approach him before they stopped, still being a good distance back. "Why?" Cyrus inquired. "Is it because you are afraid? Or are you angry?"

 _Why does he sound likes he's driving at something?_ Paul thought. "What do you think?" he responded.

"I think you are anxious and agitated to get going."

Paul growled again. "You can't just say how I feel."

"That's correct," Cyrus agreed. "Emotions...are tricky, unreadable. What looks like one emotion can look like another emotion to someone else, and even then all of them could be wrong because they aren't the person experiencing the emotion."

 _When did this delve into a topic about emotions?_ Paul questioned. He closed his eyes, sighed, and turned around. "Look, can you just tell me-" His eyes, which had started to open, widened and made him stop completely.

Cyrus Levy was not wearing his usual business suit. He was wearing a gray jacket, black pants and a long sleeve, and gray shoes. But that wasn't what caught Paul's attention.

What did was the familiar  _G_ that was stitched onto the left side of his uniform.

"Surprised?" the man asked.

"You work for Team Galactic?" Paul questioned, not denying his feelings this time.

"No," Cyrus answered. Then he made a face Paul had never seen on him: a smirk. An  _evil_ smirk. "I  _lead_ Team Galactic."

Paul was speechless. His father's long-time business was the leader of criminals? When he realized that, he gritted his teeth. "You've been using my father, haven't you?!" he accused.

"Please," Cyrus sneered. "You never liked the old man. Why would you care now?"

"It's the principle!" Paul shouted. "I may hate him, but I would never  _use_ someone!"

The criminal leader dropped his smirk into a straight line and went silent. Paul figured he had won, but it must have shown on his face, and that must have been his plan, because an evil grin appeared and began to walk closer. "And yet you'll use your Pokémon," he commented as he walked by Honchkrow, who glared at the man but found himself unable to do anything else. Meanwhile, the sentence hit Paul like a ten-ton brick. "Seems like I'm right," Cyrus continued, bringing his attention back to Paul. "So...do you feel guilty? Angry? Both?" Paul didn't answer as the man walked behind him and then put a hand on his shoulder. The teen flinched, and Honchkrow growled but still found he was unable to do anything but flap in place. "Thought so. Aren't emotions annoying? How they tend to change in the blink of an eye. Wouldn't you agree?" Paul couldn't answer. "You know I'm right. Now...what if I told you I want to create a new world where emotions don't exist?"

Paul whipped his head around. "What?" he breathed.

"And what if I told you I want you to be apart of it?" Cyrus brought up, as if Paul hadn't said anything. The Veilstone Trainer's eyes widened. "Think about it. You can get back at all of those who wronged you. You'll never feel scared again. You'll never feel angry again. You'll never feel guilty, agitated, or frustrated ever again."

That did sound...promising. If Paul hadn't just gone through something like this. And as such he already had an answer. He ripped himself away from Cyrus and turned to face him completely. "Forget it!" he shouted. "You're forgetting all of the good emotions, too! What is with you people and forgetting about this?!"

"I forget because they are few and far between."

"Maybe because you're blocking them out!" Honchkrow growled in agreement.

Cyrus gave both of them an unamused stare. "I gave you a chance to come with me to my perfect world," he stated. "I allowed you the chance because I thought you would be smarter than this. Clearly I was wrong. It looks like I will be going in alone after all. Not that I cared to begin with."

Paul found his statement confusing. He wanted him to come along? Judging from what he said, it sounded as if they would have been the only two people alive. And that was when the Trainer remembered something.  _We're trying to create a new world that's better than this one_ , Mars had told them back at the Windworks. The "we're" part of her statement tugged at his mind. "So you lied to your entire organization?!" he realized.

"A necessary step in order to create my perfect world," Cyrus confirmed in a business-like tone. He snickered. "You've seen the likes of Mars and her grunts. You must have realized that they are uniformly useless and incomplete. Unlike you...to an extent." He snickered again. "When it comes to battling, I cannot deny that you are an elite. But today I have learned that you lack in common sense."

"If there's anyone who lacks common sense, it's you!" Paul shouted.

The man chuckled. "To each his own," he responded. "Even if it is wrong."

Paul was beyond done listening to Cyrus. "Honchkrow, get him!" The Big Boss Pokémon charged, but then he heard something charging at  _him_. He stopped right before a Golbat chomped down with Poison Fang. "Where-" Cyrus laughed as Golbat flew next to him. "You...own Pokémon?"

"It seems I have been surprising you quite bit today," Cyrus noted. "Let me surprise you more. The reason the ruins are acting up: that is my doing."

"What?"

"Golbat used Confuse Ray on the Unown, and as such they got a little...agitated," Cyrus explained. He paused, looking as if he was listening for something. "And if I am right, they will be here shortly. I leave them in your great care."

"What?!"

"I can see you want to stop me, but unfortunately, time is short. I will give you a chance, however. That is..." He chuckled evilly. "If you don't care about a certain secret being exposed."

Paul glared at him furiously. "You wouldn't dare," he growled.

"Try me," Cyrus challenged. "Team Galactic will arrive in Celestic Town in two weeks. If you want to stop me, go ahead...at your own risk." He brought out an Abra. "I will give some credit to my commanders: they can give me useful Pokémon when they put their minds to it.  _Au revoir_ , my good friend." Abra used Teleport, and with one last smirk Cyrus was gone.

Paul growled, glaring as if the man was still standing before him. No wonder he never trusted the police; he was a criminal, and couldn't leave anything up to chance. No wonder he had built all of those libraries and museums; not only would he get money to support his schemes, but he would also be able to find the ways to bring his plans to fruition. And no wonder he had partnered up with his dad; with accuse to all of the security systems, he could disable them whenever his group needed to steal something- "The Eterna Historical Museum!" he suddenly exclaimed. The delay of the S-201 must have been at his suggestion so it would be easier to steal. Team Rocket must have been hired so Team Galactic wouldn't have been found out too early. The Adamant Orb was the target because...because...

_Shit!_

Cyrus wanted to try and summon Dialga!

But did he want Palkia as well? What was the point of stealing the meteorites in Veilstone City? And there must have been something important lying in the Solaceon Ruins, seeing as how the leader had been here, but what was it? Obviously there were questions that needed answers, and there was one way to do it.

Stop them.

It was something Paul would have rather avoided. If he did, it was no doubt that the secret Cyrus would reveal would be who his father was. And despite saying he wouldn't dare, Paul knew he would. But Paul knew something else.

Some things were more important than an identity reveal.

The safety of the world as they knew it was one of them.

The sudden cry of his Pokémon brought Paul out of his thoughts. He noticed the horde of agitated Unown charging their way. The Psychic types unleashed red energy beams, which Paul recognized as Hidden Power. He and Honchkrow dodged the attacks, and the Trainer figured there was only one way to get the Unown to stop.

Go on the offensive.

"Honchkrow, Shadow Ball!" Paul ordered. The Big Boss Pokémon formed the purplish orb and fired it at the group of opposing Pokémon. The attack hit, and the Unown stopped. Their eyes went back to normal, and as they floated away, the ruins transformed from a red tinted endless void to one straight brown normally lit hallway. "But I assume that didn't solve the entire problem," Paul muttered. "Hopefully one of the doorways leads to an actual staircase rather than one of those Penrose rooms." He then reached for his belt and brought Weavile out. The Dark-Ice type stretched. "We need to find Haley and get out of this place," Paul stated. "I need you two to listen for her. And if you see any Unown, attack them with Shadow Ball and Ice Beam. Understand?" They nodded curtly. "Good." He began to walk down the hallway, his Pokémon tagging along behind him.

After what felt like endless amounts of Unown and stair climbing, the trio finally reached the room with the entrance, only to discover that side entrance was still closed. Not that they would leave if it was unblocked; they still hadn't found Haley, not even a sign of her, nor had they heard anything. Paul looked down the side she had slid down and noticed they weren't stairs. Her side hadn't changed from the freaky Twilight Zone crap that it had started out as. That either meant Haley didn't know how to stop the Unown (which was improbable) or she wasn't able to. And with that thought, Paul had a sudden terrible feeling. "We're going down there," Paul decided aloud. His Pokémon looked at him, wondering why Paul would want to undo all of the climbing they just did.  _This is Haley we're talking about,_ they thought.  _She'll be able to get back up here in no time. He's being impatient._ Then they flinched as they felt Paul's glare. " _We're going_ ," he stressed before turning back around and slid purposefully down the slope.

"Well, guess we better follow him," Weavile stated.

"You think?" Honchkrow replied sarcastically before motioning the other Dark type to hop on his back. Weavile rolled his eyes but hopped on without a retort. The bird flew after their Trainer and caught him before he fell to the floor, just like before. Paul ordered Honchkrow to fly around so they could search for the missing girl.

"Haley!" the Trainer called out, his voice echoing in the void. He waited it to die before he called out, "Haley!" again, louder this time. His Pokémon called out as well, their own cries echoing around the ruins. And then a scream finally answered them. A familiar, bloodcurdling scream. As fast as he could, Honchkrow flew towards the sound, only for a horde of agitated Unown to block their way. Weavile fired an Ice Beam, and the Unown snapped out of it once more. Once again, they left, and the hallway returned to its original form. With Haley nowhere in sight. "Damn it!" Paul snapped. He ordered Honchkrow to let him and Weavile onto the stone, and with the bird flying behind them, the two bolted for the nearest doorway.

They flew up the endless staircase, un-confusing Unown as they did and returning the hallways to normal - just as they had done on the other side. They reached one of the hallways when they heard a girl crying. The trio surveyed the hallway, looking for the source, and at one point Weavile looked up. He tugged on Paul's pants in order to get the Trainer's attention. It worked, and when Paul gazed at the Dark-Ice type, Weavile pointed up. Paul followed with his eyes, and discovered that above them was a layer of red-purple fog. But more importantly, he saw Haley, crying into her hands and kneeling on the...ceiling? "Haley?" His voice made her head snap up, allowing him to see her red puffy eyes.

"P-Paul?" she choked out. She sniffled. "W-what are you doing on the c-ceiling?"

Of course the Solaceon Ruins wouldn't make things simple. And Paul hoped that he really was the one on the ceiling or else Haley would be the one in free fall when they returned the ruins to normal. Looking at her eyes again, that was the last thing she needed. "How did you get here?" Paul asked.

"Th-this Abra came out of no where a-and showed me...sh-showed me..." Whatever Cyrus' Abra had shown her, Haley couldn't speak of it. "I thought the Unown were...so I just kept r-running and ended up here, I guess..."

As if Mr. Levy needed another reason for Paul to hate him even more than usual. "Well, the three of us will find the Unown controlling this hallway," he told her. "Bring Staraptor out, just in case."

"You think  _I'm_ on the ceiling?!" Haley squeaked.

 _I knew I shouldn't have said that_ , Paul sighed. "No, but just as an extra step." Haley nodded slowly and brought out the Predator Pokémon. Meanwhile, Paul and his team began walking down the hallway to find the last horde of Unown. It didn't take them long, and after another Shadow Ball/Ice Beam combo the Unown snapped out of their confused state. The two Dark types sighed in relief, and then they felt their world turn upside down...literally. Honchkrow could fly and Weavile would be fine, but Paul? He didn't have time to shout out an order as he fell head first towards the floor. Thankfully his Pokémon had brains, so Honchkrow grabbed his foot before he had gotten too close to the stone. Paul once again released unknown held breath. The Big Boss Pokémon lowered him to the ground, where Paul flipped right side up from a handstand. And when the world was facing the correct way, he heard footsteps quickly approach him with wings flapping right behind them. As soon as he turned around he was attacked with a hug.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked. She didn't let him answer as she continued spitting out questions quickly. "Did you hurt yourself? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, this is my fault, I should have-"

"Haley, what are you talking about?" Paul asked, cutting her off. His friend stopped talking but started shaking. Paul sighed. "Is it something that has to do with what Abra showed you?" He felt her head slowly move up and down. "Alright, let's go outside." She nodded slowly again but didn't remove her arms nor did she stop shaking. It was clear she wasn't moving anytime soon. So he picked her up bridal style and began to walk up the stairs. Meanwhile, the three Pokémon looked at each other with concerned faces.

"Do you know what's wrong with her, Staraptor?" Weavile asked.

"No," the Normal-Flying type replied sadly as she shook her head. "I have no clue." With one last look between the three, they followed their Trainers out of the ruins. Since they were a little behind, they found the two humans already sitting at the top of the stairs, Haley in Paul's lap and his arms still cradling her. The male Trainer turned his head and acknowledged their presence then turned back to the girl.

"Okay, Haley, I need you to tell me what's on your mind," he stated. "I know that there's been something bothering you ever since we went to the Blue Bayou, and I want you to tell me. Please."

Haley seemed very reluctant to explain. The Pokémon could see her shake more violently and squeeze Paul even tighter. "...Are you sure?" she asked extremely quietly.

"Yes," Paul replied without hesitation.

She didn't say anything. "Haley, we're here for you," Staraptor promised, nuzzling her Trainer.

Again Haley didn't say anything. "...All right," she finally agreed. A minute or two passed before she looked at him, opened her mouth, and began explaining. "I have...had...one other really good friend. His...his name was Josh and he...he was my best friend. And he's not here anymore...because of me."

There was silence. "What happened?" Paul asked.

"Josh had an older sister...and they didn't get along at all. They were at each other's throats every day, and it made me sad. Josh didn't like it, either, but he didn't know how to fix it. So..." Her eyes darted away from him, unable to look him in the eye. "I offered to help...and he was really glad. I helped out where I could, and from when I was five to when I was nine, they made progress. But they still had...had a long way. One day...o-one day..."

It was clear she was trying to hold back tears as her voice began to stutter even worse than before. Her right hand moved from his back and clenched some of his jacket in her grasp.

"It was a friend's birthday party...and Josh was i-invited. B-but his sister was going to v-visit their grandparents in the m-mountains, and he had a c-choice. I advised he go with his sister because...b-because it would be bonding time for them...and he a-agreed. So that day they left in her car and...a-and a little past Lavender Town...they were in a car crash...and...a-and..."

Haley couldn't finish, because she began to sob into Paul's chest. Paul let her tears fall and rubbed her back, like Reggie use to do for him. He felt he should say something as well, but he had no idea what to say. He was usually the one on the broken side, not the comforting side. Even if he had more experience, what was he suppose to say to that? Everything that popped into his mind just seemed wrong and ill timed. After a few minutes she had no more to give and she released a shaky breath. "I...I..." Paul was trying to get a simple "I'm sorry" out, but even that seemed like a terrible thing to say.

"His sister survived the car crash," Haley continued, her voice sounding slightly more stable than before. "But she ended up losing her left arm in the crash. Josh...Josh was no where near as lucky..." Her face darkened. "My first crush...and I killed him."

If it were  _any_  other situation,  _any_ other boy, Paul knew he would be incredibly jealous. But he forced that ugly emotion to disappear entirely. To feel jealousy towards her childhood friend...no...her  _deceased_ childhood friend would be one of the worst things he could do. "Haley..." he whispered. "Let me ask you something."

"What?" she replied, sounding tired.

He was still thinking on it. "...Where were you when they died?" he finally asked.

"In Saffron City at my friend's party," she answered. "But what does that have to do with this?"

"How can it be your fault if you weren't there?"

Haley blinked. "What do you mean?"

"If you weren't there, if you weren't the reason for their crash, then how can his death be your fault?"

"But it is!" she exclaimed. "If I hadn't told him to go, then he-"

"What about his sister?" Haley looked at her feet. "Let's say the crash still happened, and she died. Do you think he would have blamed himself for not going?" Her head softly leaned onto his chest as she looked lost in thought. "It's not your fault, Haley. You were trying to do something nice because you cared for him. You wanted him to have a better relationship with his sister; how could you have seen the crash happening?"

"That's...that's what Tyra told me," she muttered. "I was afraid to meet her in the hospital because I thought she would be furious that I killed her brother. But...but she said something along the same lines you did...that all I was trying to do was help fix a stupid mistake they made. She said that if anyone was to blame, it was the drunk driver going down the road. He...he got away scot-free. No scratches, no broken bones, not even a memory. And he wasn't caught; he fled the scene." She let out another shaky breath. "Maybe that was why I continued to blame myself whenever I happened to think of it, because the true culprit was gone and I needed to put the blame on someone I knew exist. But..." Haley finally found it in herself to look at Paul again. And, finally, she gave off a smile. A small smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Maybe you're right."

Paul gave off a small smirk. "Maybe?" he questioned. "I am right, and you know I am. It's what my mom told me, you know."

She smiled a little bigger. "Yeah," she agreed. Then she let out a yawn and her eyelids began to droop.

"Hold on," Paul said. "Before you sleep, can you hop onto my back?"

"Why?"

"We're going to Celestic Town, but you need to sleep."

"Are...you sure you won't mind carrying me?"

"It won't be a problem."  _You're actually really light._ Haley slipped out of Paul's lap, and before she was on his back she returned Staraptor, who gave her Trainer a smile before she was beamed in. Paul returned his own Pokémon and then helped Haley onto his back, where she promptly fell asleep. Paul looked back and smiled before looking forward. He began walking down the stairs with a determined look on his face.  _Cyrus, you underestimate me. Threaten me all you want, but I won't back down. I will fight, because the world is more important._

_I will fight, because I know Josh would want me to protect this girl._

...

They had made good time. By the time they had reached the junction on Route 210 only two days had passed. Paul smirked internally; they had ten days to make it to Celestic Town, and he believed they could.

Until he saw the blockade of Psyducks in their way.

Anytime they tried to pass them, the Duck Pokémon would lift them with Psychic and throw them back. They tried fighting them, but even with the two Torterras, Luxray, and Electabuzz they were thrown back with ease. And when they got the smart idea to use their Dark types, even they were thrown back because the Psyduck threw them back by using the earth under them. So with much reluctance, Paul agreed to stay until the Psyduck were (somehow) removed. "Note to self: knock on wood," Paul muttered.

They stayed on Route 210 for three days and nights, and with each day that passed, Paul began to get antsier and antsier. But a little after noon on the fourth day, the Psyduck were mysteriously gone.  _Oh thank what or whoever got them to move!_ Paul praised, not realizing a certain black haired Trainer and his friends were responsible. "Paul, why are you walking so fast?" Haley asked.

"Don't you want to make to the Research Center as soon as possible?" he pointed out. He had decided to not tell Haley about Cyrus's schemes. Paul had made peace with fighting back, but not if some grunt happened to overhear him explain Team Galactic's plans.

"Well, yeah," Haley agreed, sounding a bit hesitant. Then she pointed. "But we can't do much with that really dense fog."

"What?" Paul followed her arm and noticed the thick fog. "Fuck!"

So after waiting one more day, they now only had a week to make it to Celestic Town, and Paul had heard that Route 210 was slightly treacherous. True to word, it was, but nothing the duo couldn't handle. And when they finally reached the town, they were right on time. "Excuse me, Nurse Joy, where's the Research Center?" Haley asked, too excited to worry about resting.

The woman smiled. "Sure," she replied. She gave the teens directions, and they followed the directions, reaching the center rather quickly. They noticed all of the people walking in and out of the center, with an old woman in a lab coat directing them. She turned around, giving the friends a good look at her. She had short gray-blonde hair and gray eyes, which had stopped on the approaching Trainers.

"Ah, are you two Trainers?" she asked.

"That's right," Haley answered as they stopped. "My name is Haley, and this is Paul."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Paul?" she repeated. "Paul Shinji?"

Now Paul gave a quizzical look. The woman's voice did sound very familiar, and she looked familiar as well. He stared at her a little longer, and realization hit him. "Grandma?"

"Paul, it  _is_ you!" the woman exclaimed happily. She hugged the boy, which made him feel a bit embarrassed, especially since she was still two or three inches taller than him. And of course Haley's presence didn't help. "It's been so long," his grandmother continued. She pulled back. "And you've gotten so big!"

"Stop it," Paul muttered.

The woman laughed. "So Haley, I suspect you're a friend of Paul's, right?"

"Yes ma'am," Haley replied.

"Just call me Carolina, dear," the woman stated. "I'm the Head of the Celestic Town Historical Research Center."

"Really?!" Haley looked at Paul. "Why didn't you tell me about this?!"

"It wasn't ever relevant!" he argued.

Carolina laughed again. "Well Paul, I'm glad to see you've made quite the friend," she said. Then she leaned in and whispered, "And she's quite the cute one, isn't she?"

"I said stop it," Paul muttered again. Carolina laughed once more.

Haley wasn't able to hear what the two said to each other, so she decided to drop it. "So, is the Research Center open today?" she asked. "There are a lot of people here."

"It's open," Carolina responded, turning to the girl. "But there was also quite the ruckus yesterday, and we're still recovering."

Paul didn't like where this was going. "What happened yesterday?" Haley inquired for him.

And what his grandmother said next confirmed his unfortunate suspicions.

"Well, a group calling themselves Team Galactic showed up and stole the Lustrous Orb from the Center."


	23. Juniors vs. Seniors

That good-for-nothing, lying, God damn cheap son of a bitch! Paul should have known Cyrus wouldn't have been true to his word. "They stole the Lustrous Orb?" Haley repeated.

"Unfortunately yes," Carolina confirmed. "They stole the Adamant Orb as well while it was being transported here. I don't quite know what their reasons are for wanting to obtain the orbs, but I can only assume it's to summon Dialga and Palkia."

So Paul had been right in thinking that Cyrus needed both deities in order to create his "perfect" world. But that still didn't clear up why he was at the Solaceon Ruins or the meteorite mystery. "I'm sorry we didn't make it in time," Haley stated. "We could have helped if we got here sooner." Paul nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly and maybe even more.

Carolina gave a smile of reassurance. "Don't fret about it," she replied. "And, well, I'm not trying to put either of you down, but when even the Champion is overwhelmed, I'm not sure how much more you two would have been able to contribute."

"Cynthia was here?!" Paul exclaimed, unable to help it.

His grandmother looked to him. "Have you been looking for her?" she asked.

"No," Paul stated.  _Just the opposite actually._ He really didn't want to encounter Cynthia for a while longer. It only seemed like yesterday since she had utterly destroyed him.

"I see," the professor said. "You two actually just missed her; she left this morning for a challenge." Paul sighed internally. "Well, you two came here to see the Center. Would you like me to show you around?"

"That would be awesome!" Haley agreed.

Carolina laughed. "Then follow me and we'll-" She raised an eyebrow and looked past the two teens. "Cynthia?"

 _What?_ Paul thought. He turned to see that, in fact, the blonde haired champion was walking towards them. He whipped around to face his grandmother. "I thought you said she had to leave!"

"I'm just as confused as you," Carolina stated. The three waited until Cynthia reached them. "What are you doing back here?" the professor asked. "Did the challenger have to cancel?"

"No, I forgot something," Cynthia revealed. "Besides, we don't have our battle for another few days or so. Even if I run late, I can always use Togekiss and fly there in an instant." Then she smiled at the other two Trainers. "Though I didn't realize you two were here as well. It's nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you," they replied, though Paul mumbled out his response. He received an elbow to the side.

"Hey!" He rubbed his side. "What was that for?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Sorry for his rudeness," she apologized. "Apparently he's still a little sore." Paul grumbled.

Cynthia smiled. "It's okay, I'm use to it." She looked back to Carolina. "So, are you going to show them around?" The professor nodded. "May I come along, Grandmother?"

The professor agreed, but the teens didn't hear it. Suddenly Haley flipped Paul around so he was facing her. "Why did you never tell me she was your sister?!" she cried as she shook him.

"Because she's not!" Paul answered, stopping her shaking.

"Then why did you not tell me she was your cousin?!"

"Because I didn't know!"

Apparently Cynthia didn't know either, because she watched the scene with a very dumbfounded expression. "Grandma, he's my cousin?" she asked.

"Your Aunt Elizabeth's youngest," Carolina confirmed.

The champion looked surprised. "Wow, Aunty never told me she had children," she stated.

Paul looked at the blonde-haired woman. "You knew her?" he asked.

Cynthia nodded. "She taught me a lot of what I know," she explained. "I was sad when I heard she had passed." One more to the list of people Paul felt the urge to apologize to. "But I believe she's in a better place, and she's probably happy as well."

The younger Trainer looked right into Cynthia's gray eyes; they reminded him of his mom's, when he had seen her ghost briefly. He gave off a sad smile, almost a smirk. He didn't even think a sad smirk was possible, but guess there was a chance for anything. "Right," he agreed.

His (newly discovered) cousin nodded once more. "Well, I say that's enough talking about our family's past," she announced. "How about we talk about Sinnoh's past?"

"That sounds great!" Haley exclaimed. It was clear she wanted to brighten up Paul's slightly down mood. She grabbed his hand and began to pull him inside.

Both of the older women laughed. "Eager Bibarel, are we?" Carolina noted as they followed the teens.

Haley looked back, smiling, but was still walking forward. "Yeah!" she confirmed. "A friend of mine loved History, and he got me into it, too!"

She could've had a lot of male friends, anyone of them into History. But somehow, someway, Paul knew exactly whom she was talking about.

"Haley," Paul began quietly, "you're not doing all of this out of a feeling of obligation, are you?"

"What?" she replied in disbelief, now looking straight ahead. "No, I'm serious. Josh got me into History. I like it. I do this for me."

He wasn't fully convinced. "Haley, do you do this out of obligation?" he repeated with more force. If she questioned him on things like this, he had the right to do the same.

His friend didn't answer. Then she squeezed his hand. "It's the only way I know how to stay close to him," she finally answered quietly.

Paul stared at the back of her head, and even though he couldn't see her eyes, he could feel the tears coming. So in response he returned her squeeze and walked up beside her. "You said the past is the past, right?" he reminded. She blinked, and then she nodded. "Then apply it." He knew that probably sounded a bit harsh, but the recent months had shown him sometimes an extra push was needed. Paul watched as she looked down at her feet, which had slowed down while they were talking. Now he needed a way to lighten up  _her_ mood. And he figured he had a pretty good one. "Now let's stop talking about the past and go learn about the past," he told her.

Haley snapped her head up to look at him in confusion. When she finally processed what he had said, she suddenly went into a fit of giggles. "Yeah, let's!" she cheered happily. She began picking up the pace again, almost running as the two went in to explore the Research Center.

Meanwhile, the two women watched them. "What do you think that was about?" Cynthia questioned.

"I have a feeling we shouldn't ask," Carolina replied with a smile. "But just from what I saw, those two do wonders for each other."

All four met up inside, with Haley apologizing for leaving the other two behind. Carolina laughed it off and proceeded to act tour guide to the eager girl. Cynthia, on the other hand, having visited the Research Center more times than anyone could count, asked Paul as much as she could about his side of the family. Paul answered, but for once not in an annoyed way. Maybe it was because she was only the third woman family member in his life, or maybe it was because she wasn't too pushy, or maybe it was because she was the  _fucking Champion_! How could he not feel even the slightest bit of pride in knowing that his cousin reigned as the strongest Trainer in all of Sinnoh? Sure, she had kicked his ass, but...she was Cynthia Shirona! Even the other Champions had a hard time dealing with her.

Overconfidence is a bitch.

Still, Paul was actually somewhat glad for Cynthia being apart of his family, even if she wasn't Champion. Aunt Beverly could be too girly and Carolina was not around as often as would have liked (though it wasn't like he was expecting Cynthia to pop up all the time from now on). Meanwhile, the blonde haired woman was calm, collected, and kind yet was a battle enthusiast. It felt...nice that someone liked to battle besides his uncle and brother.

Or...maybe Paul should scratch Reggie off the list. He scowled internally at that.

"So Haley, are you participating in the Pokémon League here in Sinnoh?" Cynthia suddenly piped up.

The mention Trainer and Carolina looked up from the ancient vase they had been talking about. "No, I only participate in the Elite Four Runs," she replied.

"Oh, that's right," the Champion stated. "I remember Lance saying something about it."

"Lance told you?" Haley questioned.

"Yes. He and I talk frequently, and he once told me about you." Cynthia smiled. "He told me about your battles with him."

Haley suddenly looked embarrassed, but not in a proud way. "Oh, he did, huh?" she responded.

"What's wrong with that?" Carolina inquired.

"My first battle with him was an absolute train wreck," Haley explained, ashamed. "I should have lost."

"But you didn't," Cynthia pointed out. "And you did much better when you battled him for the Johto Elite Four Run."

"Yeah, where he brought his A+ game as Champion instead of A+ as last member of an incomplete roster," the black haired girl sighed.

Cynthia chuckled. "Well, would you like a battle with me, right now?"

Paul never thought he would ever see Haley ghostly white. "N-N-N-Now?!" she squeaked. "But I-I only have five badges and Umbreon had a tough battle before we got here- ohmygosh I forgot to heal Umbreon!"

Needless to say, Haley was panicked.

The Champion chuckled again. "No, no, I mean a one-on-one," she clarified. "You can bring any Pokémon from one of your old teams. Though, if I'm honest, I've been dying to see that Sceptile of yours. Lance and I watched your battle against Steven, and it caught my eye." She smiled bigger. "But if you want to use another Pokémon, that's fine by me."

Haley was completely frozen, so much so Paul was sure that if he touched her, it would be like touching ice cubes. Before he could test his theory, she dashed out of the Research Center, surprising a few visitors. Paul sighed and quickly followed her, giving his family a quick wave. Though when he exited the Center, Haley was long gone. He was surprised not to see black marks on the ground from the fire that he swore was threatening to spark under her feet as she ran. By the time he caught up with her, she was at the videophones with a confused Nurse Joy watching her, a sole Poké Ball in her hand. "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom!" Haley chanted over the phone.

"Hay, calm down," the woman sighed. "What are you so worked up about?"

"No time to explain, I need Sceptile NOW!"

By this time, Paul had made his way to her side and looked at the woman on the other end of the line. She had Haley's long hair and hazel eyes, but her hair was moss green and her features seemed sharper. The woman leaned her head on a propped-up arm, revealing silver watch, and sighed again. "Tell me exactly why you need Sceptile," she said.

"The Champion of Sinnoh just asked for a battle with him!" Haley exclaimed, sounding excited but mostly nervous. "I need him!"

Haley's mom perked up. "Oh Hay, that's great news!" the woman cheered.

"No it's not!" her daughter rebuttaled. "I'm not even close to being ready!"

The woman sighed a third time, and Paul chuckled to himself. He briefly wondered if Haley had been a handful in her childhood. "Hay, Sceptile is one of your strongest and most trusted Pokémon," she reminded. "I hope you haven't forgotten your battle with Steven already-"

"Where he ended up beating Cradily and Armaldo almost single-handedly and weaken Metagross for Blaziken; yeah, yeah, I know, Mom."

Her mom smiled. "Then you should do fine, Hay." Paul finally realized "Hay" was a nickname rather than thinking her mom had some sort of weird speech tick. "Besides, it's not official. And even if you lose, you'll know what to expect when you go for the plaque."

With those words, Haley finally seemed to relax. "You're right," she agreed.

The woman beamed. "When am I not, Hay? Parents always know best."

Haley rolled her eyes good naturally. "Okay, so now that you know, where's Sceptile?"

"Well," her mom began, leaning forward, "Ray decided to go traveling again, and he thought it would be best to take at least one of your Pokémon with him."

Deadly silence followed. "So he-"

"Took Sceptile, yes."

Now Paul was wondering if red paint had somehow been splashed onto Haley's face. "Without my permission," she hissed. The woman suddenly looked at Paul and smiled. Apparently she had known he was there the whole time. She motioned the teen to cover his ears, and with a slightly confused look, he did. "RRRRAAAAYYYY!" Haley screeched. Paul was glad he had been given the warning. "Mom, patch me through to him  _right NOW_!"

She chuckled. "Not before you introduce me to that friend of yours," she compromised.

"Who?" Haley finally turned and noticed Paul. "Paul? When did you get here?"

"I've been here since you started talking to her," he answered.

Haley looked embarrassed. "Whoops," she mumbled. She cleared her throat and looked at her mom. "Mom, this is Paul," she introduced. "He's a Trainer from Veilstone City that I met on the way to Jubilife. Paul, this is Rosaline, my mother. She actually teaches at the Trainer's School in Saffron City."

"Knowing your luck, she was probably yours," he snickered.

"And a strict one, too!" Rosaline confirmed, whipping the pointer that Paul hadn't noticed on the wood surrounding the videophone. It made a  _CRACK!_ as it hit, and Haley flinched. "Always was, always am, and always will!" She flashed an evil smile. "You think I would let Hay and her brothers get special privileges just because they're my kids? Big mistake! They weren't even allowed to call me Mom! It was Mrs. Sedai like everyone else! Right Hay?"

Another  _CRACK!_ of the pointer ripped through the air. "Yes Mrs. Sedai!" Haley called, snapping to attention.

The teacher laughed. "Never gets old," she stated, dropping her slightly evil act. "But you can call me Rosa if you want, Paul. I hope my daughter hasn't been too much of a handful."

"Only sometimes," Paul answered.

Rosa laughed again. "That's the Haley I know!" Then she put on sly smile. She leaned in and shielded one side of her mouth, as if she was sharing a secret. "By the way, you picked up quite the charmer," she told her daughter.

Paul felt his face heat up, but Haley just laughed it off. "Mom, seriously," she chuckled, leaning her elbows on the counter and folding her hands over the bridge of her nose. "Come on, patch me to Ray, please?"

"If you promise me two more things." Haley nodded. "One, don't yell at your brother... _much_." Her daughter giggled. "Two, make sure to call home more," she eyed Paul, "and tell me more about your boyfriend."

Now Paul turned around, knowing his face was Tamato Berry red. "Mom, he's not..." Haley sighed. "Can you just connect me to Ray already?"

"Sure, Hay. But I've got to warn you, he's in the mountains, so it'll take a while before he receives your call."

"As long as I get to him," Haley replied. With a goodbye, Rosa switched the call, and her daughter began to wait. "Sorry about that," Haley stated. "My mom can be a bit...weird."

Paul faked a cough. "Aren't all moms like that?" he pointed out as he turned his head. She was looking at him, her lips turning from a straight line to a smile.

"Most likely," she agreed.

The pair waited for Haley's brother to finally receive the call, but they hadn't waited for even a minute before Nurse Joy walked over to them. "You're Paul Shinji, right?" she asked. Paul nodded. "You have a call. I don't know who it is, but they requested you use earphones."

Whoever wanted to call Paul wanted to make this a completely private manner. He was slightly suspicious, but Paul shrugged and agreed. Nurse Joy pointed to the videophone on the far end of the counter, and the purple-haired Trainer went to accept the call. He put on the earphones and hit the green button. "Hello-" Paul stopped, and then his face transformed into a scowl. "Motherfucker," he growled.

"So lovely to see you as well, Paul," Cyrus greeted, as chipper as ever.

But Paul no longer fell for the act. "You lied to me!" he hissed.

The man's face grew dark with an evil smirk. "I figured you would come after me, even if I did threaten you," he informed. "But the problem was, I couldn't have you interfering. You're a bit too strong for my tastes, along with that friend of yours. Add the surprise visit from the Champion and those three brats-"  _Three brats?_ Paul thought "-and I might have actually lost confidence in the mission. Though it seems you got held up on the route to Celestic Town. Am I correct?"

"Cyrus, if you think I'll just give up, you're sadly mistaken!" Paul threatened. "So I'd watch your back if I were you!"

"So you really wouldn't mind if I spill your secret right now?" Paul couldn't help but let out a frustrated growl. "I thought so. You see, Paul, I'm impossible to touch. I'm one of the richest men in Sinnoh - possibly the world - and everyone sees me as a kind-hearted man. What makes you think you'll be able to persuade the police into thinking I'm Team Galactic's leader?" Then he chuckled darkly. "Well, even if you managed to, the police are vastly incompetent. Our headquarters are undetectable, and by the way, this call is untraceable." Cyrus' smirk grew. "Still think you can win?"

Paul stared at the screen with seething rage; it was all according to Cyrus' plan. Then the teen took a deep breath and gave the man a stern look, causing his face to warp into surprise. "You made my friend remember the most traumatic moment of her life," he said so calmly it came off as scary. "Not only will you pay for that, but you will pay for trying to destroy the world. In other words, Cyrus, challenge accepted."

Cyrus did not expect that, but he recovered and chuckled as he straightened out his suit. "I can't believe I'm surprised. I shouldn't be. Very well, Paul, I look forward to seeing you in the future."

And then the call died.

If there was anything Paul wanted to do right now it was punch something and scream in frustration. What actually happened was that he let out a sigh as he took the earphones out. Not out of relief or annoyance or feeling like the world was on his shoulders...he just...sighed. He seriously needed a distraction, something that would push the blue haired man out of his mind, something that would- "Ray, I swear I will  _kill_ you the next time I see you in person!" Yeah, something like that. Paul walked back to Haley, who was now taking with a man who had short green hair and amber eyes.

"God, Haley, what the hell did I do?" Ray asked.

"You know very well what you did and you know I hate that shit! And I swear, if you brought Fearow to the mountains-"

"I'm not that stupid, okay?" the man grumbled. "I know Fearow is afraid of potential blizzards and rockslides, jeez. Look, I bring your Pokémon along because they need exercise instead of just wandering in the field outside our house, and I figured Sceptile needed it next."

"At the very least you can tell me when you take them. We've been over this!"

Ray sighed. "Right, right, sorry. It's just been a busy two weeks. It was hard finding a boat to Orre, and reserving a challenge at Mt. Battle was even worse. Not to mention this place is  _brutal_. The higher you go, the harder it gets."

"Still..."

"Yeah, I get it."

"So, can I have Sceptile?"

"Sorry, I need a Grass type."

" _WHY_?!"

"Most of the Pokémon coming up are weak to Grass types."

"Then I'll give you Torterra, okay? I  _need_ Sceptile!"

"Why? What is so  _absolutely_ important that you  _need_ Sceptile?"

"Because Cynthia wants to battle him!"

Ray jumped, revealing his orange vest with a black tank top underneath. "Cynthia?!" he repeated. "As in, the  _Champion_ Cynthia Shirona?!  _That_ Cynthia?!"

" _YES_!"

"Okay, okay, I'll send him over. But I better be getting Torterra in exchange."

Haley nodded. "He's slow," she informed.

Her brother took a Poké Ball from, presumably, his belt. "I know," he replied. The siblings put their Poké Balls in the transporters and began the trade. Because of Ray's location, the process took a little longer than usual. "So, who's he?" Ray inquired, nodding his head towards Paul.

"The name's Paul," he introduced this time around. "I'm a Trainer from Veilstone City, and I'm friends with your sister."

Ray hummed, and Paul watched as his amber eyes darted, studying the younger male. "You look alright," he finally stated. "Of course I don't really  _know_ you..." He narrowed his eyes. "If I ever hear  _anything_ about you hurting my sister in  _any way_ -"

"Ray, chill, alright?" Haley interrupted. "He's a good friend. Stop being paranoid."

The male sighed. "Haley, if I  _don't_ worry, I'm failing as an older brother, okay?" he told her. "It's my job."

"It's also your 'job' to annoy the shit out of me," Haley grumbled.

"Bingo!" he replied as he snapped his fingers. As he did the trade finally completed and the Pokémon were at their new destinations. The siblings took the Poké Balls and opened them up. Sceptile appeared in between the Trainers in Celestic Town. He looked at Haley and smirked. Meanwhile, Torterra was looking at Ray with confusion.

"Torterra!" Haley called, grabbing the Continent Pokémon's attention. He looked at the screen. "This is my older brother Ray. He needs you for a challenge he's participating in."

"Okay, but why does he need me?" Torterra asked.

"Cynthia challenged me to a battle," his Trainer explained, "and she wanted to battle against Sceptile. Ray was going to use him since he needs a Grass type, so we swapped. He's a capable, kind Trainer, so don't worry. I know you won't let him down."

Torterra smiled and nodded. "Wait, who's Cynthia?" Sceptile asked.

Haley looked at the Forest Pokémon. "She's the Champion of the Sinnoh region," she revealed. "She told me she was impressed with your battle against Steven, so she wanted to have a one-on-one battle with you."

Scepter smirked even wider. "She won't know what hit her," he boasted.

"You haven't seen her in action," Haley muttered.

"Don't sweat it, Red, you're an awesome Trainer," Ray assured. "So go show her what you two are made of!"

His sister beamed. "Right!" she exclaimed. "And good luck on your challenge."

"10 more and all of Mt. Battle will have been conquered!" Ray declared. "Manetric, Starmie, Hariyama, Flygon," he looked at Torterra, smiled, and rubbed his head, "Torterra - although I would have liked to finish with Sceptile - and... Well, I'm not telling you my last Pokémon."

"Why?" Haley whined. "Tell me!"

Ray moved his finger back and forth. "Not telling," he teased. "I don't want to be ruining any surprises when you go to a new region."

"It's a Pokémon from a region I haven't visited?"

"Yes, and that's all you'll get," he stated. Then he smirked and saluted her. "Catch up with you later, Red!" And then Ray ended the call.

Paul looked at her. "Hay and Red?" he asked.

"Don't ask where Hay came from," Haley sighed. "I don't know either. But Red comes from the fact that my favorite color is red." She shook her head. "That's not important. Sceptile, are you ready?"

"Any time!" the Grass type replied.

Meanwhile, Paul pulled out his Pokédex to examine Sceptile's move set. He was surprised at what the Forest Pokémon knew. "Haley, do you know Sceptile's move set?" he inquired.

She sighed. "I should, but knowing Ray he probably switched some moves." She walked over to look at the Pokédex. She muttered something about him replacing three moves without her permission again under her breath.

"Haley." The trio looked to find Cynthia and her grandmother by the door. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Haley answered.

The Champion smiled. "Then follow me," she instructed. "I have the perfect place for our battle."

Cynthia walked them out of the Pokémon Center and led them through the town. Sceptile looked around in awe, noting how different the colder region was compared to his own region and the desert region he had just been in (along with being next to and inside a volcano). When Haley told Paul what the Grass type had said, he found himself agreeing despite not really thinking about it before. Hoenn was much more humid, and he remembered how he constantly found himself in his t-shirt (which most girls he came across ate up, but that only served to annoy him). Yet here, in Sinnoh, he was mostly the opposite, and he realized Haley was incredibly tolerate to the usual cold winds. "Um...Cynthia?" Haley piped up, snapping Paul out of his thoughts. "Why are we in front of a Contest Hall?"

"This is where we'll battle," she replied as she led them through the lobby. "The Contest was two days ago, so it's fine. Besides," she stopped in front of the doors to the battlefield and smiled, "we attracted quite the crowd." She opened up the doors, and the two younger Trainers and Sceptile found themselves with open mouths.

Almost the entire Hall was full, and when the crowd saw the Champion they roared with applause. Haley had wide eyes and was taking short, fast breaths. Seeing this, Paul snapped his fingers in front of her face. He had to do that three or four times before she looked at him and stopped her actions. "Just go out there and do what you usually do," he advised.

" _Sí, se puede!_ " Sceptile randomly exclaimed, making Haley chuckle.

"Okay, okay," she chuckled. "Cynthia, we're ready when you are!"

The woman smiled. "That's what I like to here."

The Trainers made their way to the battlefield, with Haley taking the right side and Cynthia on the left. Paul and Carolina sat in the front row. "Thank you, dear," the professor whispered.

Paul looked at his grandmother. "No problem," he told her. "Haley's been really nervous around Cynthia."

"She didn't look nervous when we first met up."

"It's only when Cynthia's in battle mode," Paul explained.

Carolina developed an all-knowing smile. "Now I wonder why that is?" she stated.

 _Oh God, Cynthia must have told her,_ Paul thought. He looked at the battlefield. "I wouldn't know," he lied.

But of course his grandmother didn't buy it. She laughed. "She said she admires your boldness, you know," she informed.

"I refer to it as stupidity," Paul muttered to himself. Carolina heard it, though, and laughed again.

"Alright, Haley, this will be a one-on-one battle," Cynthia restated. Haley nodded. "Grandma!" she called. "Do you think you can ref?"

Paul's grandmother sighed good-naturally. "You'd think she'd tell me before I sat down with my grandson," she muttered before getting up and walking up onto the stage and standing in between the two Trainers. "Well, ladies, shall we get started?"

"You bet!" Haley exclaimed. "Sceptile, time to show Cynthia what we're made of!" Her Hoenn Grass type leapt onto the field and let out a battle cry. A good chunk of the audience seemed to know who Haley and her Sceptile were, so they cheered loudly for her.

Cynthia went into battle mode as she brought out a Poké Ball. "Garchomp, battle dance!" she shouted. The Mach Pokémon materialized and roared, along with the entire crowd, who were getting excited for a great battle. "So Haley, would you like to go first?"

"If you want me to," the black-haired girl stated.

Carolina nodded. "Very well," she stated. Then, unlike most refs, she folded her arms behind her back and stood up a little straighter. "Battle begin!"

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!" Haley ordered without hesitation. The Forest Pokémon stuck out his arms and the four leaves on his wrists glow light green and form into two. He then lunged at Garchomp, but she blocked his left arm with her left fin.

"Garchomp, Dragon Claw!" The Mach Pokémon made her right claw glow and went to slash at Sceptile, but he jumped back before the attack could connect.

"Up in the air!" Haley shouted. Sceptile nodded, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he sprung straight up. "Now use Focus Blast!" Sceptile put his hands together and created a blue ball of energy, and once it was done charging, he threw it at the Dragon-Ground type as if the energy was a baseball. Though it was probably a good thing that baseballs didn't zoom through the air as fast as Focus Blast.

But despite its fast speeds, Cynthia remained calm, just as she always did. "Dig!" she commanded. Garchomp jumped into the battlefield, dodging just before Focus Blast made contact.

Haley grunted as Sceptile landed. "Stay alert!" she advised.

Sceptile nodded and kept his senses alive. It was quite for a minute or two as Garchomp tunneled through the ground. Suddenly he felt the earth shift slightly underneath him, and he jumped away as Garchomp emerged. But instead of going after her opponent, she dug right back into the ground. Sceptile hit the ground, only to have to jump back again. The Pokémon continued the weaving motion, and it was getting on Sceptile's nerves. "This is getting really old!" he grumbled.

His Trainer agreed, and she waited until Garchomp went under again. "Sceptile, use Earthquake!" she ordered.

The Forest Pokémon looked at her. "Oh yeah, I forgot," he muttered. He had only learned the move two days ago, and he found himself forgetting he had the new move. He stomped on the ground, creating shock waves and making the earth shake. And that fished Garchomp out of the ground. Sceptile used Leaf Blade and jumped after her. The Mach Pokémon quickly recovered and clashed her fin with his blade once more. They landed on the ground and began to collide fins.

"I see your reputation proceeds you," Garchomp complimented.

Sceptile smirked. "I'm not all bark no bite," he replied.

"You tell them, Sceptile!" Haley agreed. "Now duck and use Dragon Pulse!"

Cynthia gasped, not expecting the Forest Pokémon to know that move. Sceptile pushed Garchomp's fins back and lowered his head. He opened his mouth and a turquoise ball quickly formed. Before his opponent could dodge, he fired the attack. Garchomp was sent flying back and was caught in an explosion. The smoke obscured all vision of Cynthia's side of the field.

Paul moved to the edge of his seat and tensed up. He had been in this position before, hitting Garchomp with a powerful attack and waiting for the cover to clear. Would it be like last time, where his cousin's Pokémon wouldn't be affected at all? Haley wasn't taking any chances. "Sceptile, be ready for anything!" she warned. Sceptile quickly went into a defense position and waited for whatever was going to happen.

The Champion chuckled. "I see you learned from my cousin's mistakes," she noted. "But you see..." The smoke cleared, and Paul, Haley, and Sceptile were surprised to find that no one was there. "I have learned from that battle as well."

"Garchomp used Dig!" Haley exclaimed. "Sceptile, start moving!"

Her Pokémon was going to, but as he went to move, Garchomp borrowed under him and thrust him into the air. He recovered quickly and looked at Garchomp on the ground below him. He scowled. "Tch, think you can sneak up on me?" he growled. Hearing his Trainer order another Dragon Pulse, he opened his mouth.  _Think again,_ he thought as he fired.

But Cynthia was ready.

"Garchomp, use Flamethrower," she ordered calmly.

"When did Garchomp learn that?!" Paul exclaimed.

"Sceptile, do something!" Haley shouted.

He tried by using Focus Blast, but Garchomp's Flamethrower collided with the ball of energy and pushed it back. Being in the air, Sceptile took the full force of not only his own attack but the super effective move as well. The Forest Pokémon cried out in pain and then crashed to the ground. He lied there, still but not down and out just yet. Not wanting to let his Trainer down, he struggled to stand. He only managed to sit up, propped up by his elbow, before Garchomp stepped in front of him. "No," she said. "You're done."

"That's...that's what...you think," he panted.

Garchomp didn't say anything and watched him try to get any farther. "No, you're done," she repeated.

Sceptile growled at her, but then he felt his energy drain. He smirked. "Guess...you're right," he agreed weakly before collapsing, swirls in his eyes.

"Sceptile is unable to battle!" Carolina announced. "Which means Garchomp is the winner! So the victor of this field challenge is Cynthia!"

Once again showing why she reigned supreme.

"Sceptile!" Haley called out to her fallen Pokémon as the crowd cheered for the Champion's win. The black haired girl ran up to the Grass type and lifted his head with her right hand. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Sorry, Haley," he muttered, smiling sadly. "Looks like I wasn't up to the challenge. I failed you."

Haley shook her head. "You tried your best and never gave up," she assured. "That's all I ever ask for." Sceptile's smile got a little wider.

"That's what I like to hear," Cynthia's calm voice rang. The duo looked to the blonde haired woman, her Pokémon, and her grandmother as they walked over. "Your Sceptile was just as skilled as I had remembered, and I never expected some of the powerful moves you two pulled."

"Well, I have my brother Ray to thank for teaching Sceptile everything other than Leaf Blade," Haley humbled. "Besides, we didn't do all that good."

"Nonsense," Cynthia argued. "I had fun, and it's been awhile since I've had this much fun. In fact..." She looked at Paul and smiled. "Well, since our battle," she admitted.

Paul looked at her, and then he huffed. "Whatever," he mumbled.

That response didn't stop Cynthia from smiling. "Well, Haley, I look forward to battling you at the end of your journey," she stated. She and Garchomp turned and took one step.

"Wait!" The two did as Haley requested. "The thing you forgot...it was a battle with me wasn't it?" The Champion didn't answer. "You saw us coming to Celestic Town and came back, didn't you?"

Still the woman didn't answer. Then she turned her head, eyes closed and a bright, innocent smile on her face. "I hope you'll continue with your training," she said before turning back and continuing her walk.

Haley watched her with a gaping mouth. "H-hey, that doesn't answer my question!" she called after her. "Cynthia, hey!"

Carolina laughed. "I think you were right on the money, Haley," she voiced. "Cynthia has always had a...strange way of answering questions." Haley sighed and watched as the crowd leaked out of the bleachers, most likely to try and meet the Champion.

"Well, are we ready to go?" Paul asked, who had moved to the edge of the battlefield. His friend looked at him and nodded. But before she moved she brought her attention back to Sceptile.

"Alright, Sceptile, take a nice rest," she advised. He nodded, and then she beamed him back into his Poké Ball. She stood up and got off the battlefield, with Carolina right behind her. Haley stared at the red-and-white object in her hand, squeezed it, and sighed. "And after Ray had put so much work into training him," she said sadly. "After he and Mom believed in me, too."

"Don't worry about it, dear," Carolina assured. "Many people find themselves challenging Cynthia multiple times, even Elite Four members and other Champions. She didn't get that position by chance and luck, you know."

"I guess," Haley sighed. "So, Canalave City is next, right?" Paul nodded.

"I can drive you two to Solaceon Town," Carolina offered. "I have to go to the ruins there, and then from there you two can walk the rest of the way."

Haley looked at Paul. "Is that okay with you?" she asked. He nodded once more. So with a plan, the three walked out of the battlefield area, but when they got to the lobby they were stopped by a woman with light brown hair in a ponytail. She was wearing a loose cream t-shirt, brown shin-high skinny jeans, and brown high heels. Around her legs were two little girls, both of them looking identical with short orange hair and matching blue dresses, hair clips, and shoes. The only difference was that the girl on the left had freckles. When they saw the group they smiled. "Um, is there something you need?" Haley questioned.

The woman leaned down and whispered to the two girls. They nodded and ran up to Haley, both with a notebook and pen in their small hands. "Well...my name is Teri," the girl on the left introduced.

"My name is Tia," the other girl piped up.

"And..." They looked at each other before exclaiming, "We're your biggest fans, Miss Haley!"

Haley was taken aback by the twins' shout. "R-really?"

"Yes!" they answered.

"We really admire you," Teri revealed.

"We want to become strong Trainers just like you!" Tia added.

"And...we'd like you to sign our notebooks!" They stuck out their signing books at the Trainer.

She chuckled. "Well, truthfully, I haven't done this before," Haley admitted, "but why not? There's a first for everything." She gladly took the books, signing Teri's first and then Tia's. The little girls squealed in happiness, making Haley beam.

"Thank you so much!" they shouted. Haley nodded happily.

Paul watched the scene and then went to focus on the door when he felt a pair of eyes. He looked down to find Tia staring at him. "Who are you?" she asked.

He wondered if he should answer the young girl. Then he realized he should; neither Haley nor his grandmother would ever let it down if he made her cry. "My name is Paul," he told her.

Tia perked up. "As in Paul Shinji?" she clarified. He nodded. She stared at him in awe, and then at her notebook. "Will..." She held it up. "Will you sign, too? I'm a fan of you, too."

The Trainer was surprised but didn't show or say it as he nodded and took the book and pen. "But Tia, he uses nothing but brute force!" Teri argued.

"So? Maybe I like brute force sometimes!" Tia countered.

Paul couldn't help but chuckle as he handed the book back. "Someone agrees with me," he stated, making the freckle-less girl give off a triumphant smile.

"Well, we have to go, girls," Haley informed, "but it was nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you!" the girls replied, bowing.

Haley giggled. "You know, you two really brightened up my day," she said. "I'm really glad you talked to us." Their eyes shined, and Haley waved to them as they passed.

"Ah wait, one question!" Teri called out. Haley turned to look at the orange haired freckled girl. "I...um...I wanted to know if you had any advice." She shuffled her feet. "Please?"

The older girl smiled. "Never give up," she advised simply. "Even juniors can beat their seniors if they just keep trying."

Paul stared at her, and then smirked.

Sometimes it was pathetic.

And sometimes it was the only reason you stayed in the game.


	24. I'm A Nice Guy

It was a quiet, peaceful morning, with the Starly singing and the sun shining and the morning dew still on the leaves. The air was crisp, clean, and-

"I said I'm not hungry!"

"And I said too bad!"

Full of arguing. Lots and lots of arguing.

Three days had passed since Paul's grandmother had dropped the teens off in Solaceon Town, and they were on their way to Hearthome City to travel towards Canalave. When Haley looked at her map, she became grumpy, realizing how far away Canalave City actually was. Because of that (or she was actually telling the truth), she hadn't eaten breakfast for two days, and Paul was sick of it.

So on the morning of the third day he literally dragged her out of bed and told her she was going to eat something. At first Haley got a free pass by saying she needed to get ready. Paul grumbled but allowed her, and Haley thought she had outsmarted him, that he would go to the lobby and wait. In truth he had waited outside the room and when she went to bolt, he grabbed her arm and dragged her, Haley kicking and screaming all the way. He made his way to the lobby, ordered something, and threw her into a booth. He tried sitting opposite of her, but when she attempted two different escapes, he found himself sitting next to her like a bodyguard.

Haley huffed. "Fine, but did you at least get me something good?" she questioned.

"What do you think of mushroom omelets?" he told her in an annoyed tone.

The black haired girl made a face. "I hate eggs!" she exclaimed.

Paul glared at her. "Too. Bad."

"I hate you," Haley grumbled. Paul hummed.

The plate of eggs came out, and upon smelling the food Haley pretended to be gagging. Paul sighed, rolled his eyes, cut a little of it, and shoved the fork into her open mouth. "Eat it," he ordered. She shook her head. " _Eat it._ " He got another no. "Haley, I swear, if don't stop acting like a child, I will force this down your throat."

"I don't wanna," Haley whined, though it was muffled.

"You. Will."

After several minutes of struggling, Paul finally got Haley to eat at least half of the omelet, and the girl looked like she was about to die. Paul, meanwhile, calmly began to eat the second half. Unlike his stubborn friend, he actually found the dish really delicious. The eggs were fluffy, there was just the right amount of salt and pepper, it was cheesy, and the mushrooms...well, Paul has biased towards mushrooms because they were one of his favorites, so of course they were good. "In just a few minutes our live coverage of the battle between Elite Four Member Aaron Knotz and Champion Cynthia Shirona," the newscaster on the TV reported. Suddenly Paul swallowed the eggs weirdly and began coughing.

"So, the eggs finally tasted bad?" Haley asked dully.

Paul glared at her again. "No," he replied. He pointed at the TV. " _That_ surprised me."

Haley looked at the machine. "That's right, Roxy," her cohost agreed. "And I can assure our viewers we're in for a treat today."

The half-dead girl looked at the two adults blankly. "What's going to be a treat?" she asked.

"You were not that out of it," Paul stated, rolling his eyes. "But apparently you want me to treat you like a child today, so I will." He took a breath. "My cousin. Is fighting. An Elite Four Member. Today."

Finally, Haley came back to life. "Wait, seriously?"

" _Yes_ ," Paul said in annoyance.

"Okay, okay, no need to get testy." Paul was tired of rolling his eyes. "Can we stay to watch?"

"I shouldn't be doing nice things this morning," he muttered. "Though I guess I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested." He finished the omelet and picked up the plate to put it into the dirty bin. "We'll stay."

So the teens found themselves watching the screen with a crowd of ten or fifteen people. Paul listened as the announcer stated Aaron would become the new Champion if he won. But Paul found Aaron's victorious result highly unlikely. If Haley and Sceptile couldn't beat Cynthia and Garchomp, how was the Bug type specialist expecting to win with his type disadvantage Drapion?

Besides, Paul couldn't bet against family.

"Whoa, they're just getting started!" a familiar high pitched female voice rang. A Piplup chirped. Paul groaned internally.  _Oh no..._ He turned to find that his suspicions were correct, and he groaned again. But on the outside, he kept his straight face.

"Looks like we got in under the wire," Ash agreed, sounding relieved. Pikachu voiced his own agreement.

Paul stared at them for a second or two longer before looking back at the screen. "You could just ignore them," Haley whispered.

"You're asking me to try and ignore a million rampaging Tauros in the middle of rush hour," Paul countered in a low voice. "And don't acknowledge their presence. With how troublesome you've been this morning, they'll spot us if you do."

"I hope you realize it really doesn't matter if I talk about them or not," Haley replied. "To them, you stick out more than a sore thumb. I wouldn't be surprised if Ash didn't see you...right...about..."

"It's Paul," they heard Ash mutter.

"Now." Paul huffed. He hated when she was right.

At least the screen kept him distracted. Aaron ordered his Poison-Dark type to use Pin Missile as the first attack of the round. A stream of white glowing pins fired from his claws and straight at Garchomp. But the Champion's Pokémon jumped out of the way and jumped into the ground with Dig. Drapion didn't seem to know Earthquake, so unlike Sceptile, it couldn't just fish the Mach Pokémon out of her hiding spot. It also couldn't stop the oncoming super effective attack. "Drapion, use Ice Fang!" Aaron ordered. Drapion's claws glowed blue, and it lunged at Garchomp.

"Dodge and then use Dragon Claw!" Cynthia commanded. Her Pokémon sidestepped out of the way and went to slash at her opponent with her glowing right claw.

"Counter with Aerial Ace!" The two claws collided.

Paul watched the battle a little longer. "Aaron's going to lose," he predicted.

Haley looked at him. "The battle just started," she pointed out as Drapion used another Ice Fang.

"Garchomp is much more powerful," Paul stated as said Pokémon dodged again. "And Drapion is Aaron's most powerful Pokémon."

"Are you sure?" Haley questioned skeptically.

"Positive. And even if he's changed his roster since the last time I checked, it doesn't matter." Paul watched as Garchomp took out her opponent with a well-placed Dig attack. "Cynthia has a well balanced team and is the top Trainer. Meanwhile, Aaron only uses one type and is the first Elite Four Member."

Haley raised an eyebrow as Aaron swapped his fallen Pokémon with a Vespiquen. "And you're not just saying this because she's family?" she clarified, sounding even more skeptical.

"I may not bet against them, but I don't give them special treatment," he answered. On the screen, Aaron ordered the Beehive Pokémon to use Defend Order. "Especially since I haven't known about her."

"Fair enough," Haley stated.

They continued to watch. Vespiquen went down in no time to the undefeated Garchomp with a Flamethrower, and when Aaron brought in his Yanmega, Cynthia brought in her Milotic. The two Pokémon battled, and Yanmega soon fell to a well-placed Ice Beam. Next was his Scizor, but Cynthia brought out her Lucario to counter. A few minutes passed before the Fighting-Steel type stopped playing around, and with one Aura Sphere, Scizor went down.

That was when Cynthia seemed to look at the camera and smile, as if she knew Haley was watching. Paul watched as the girl's face turned green. "It's just a coincidence," he argued. Haley didn't buy it.

The young Elite Four Member brought out his Heracross, and the two teens watched in surprise as Lucario actually fell. It had been the first time either of them had seen the blonde hair Champion lose a Pokémon, so needless to say they were impressed. So was Cynthia, but she didn't back down. She just brought out her Gastrodon and finished the job. Unless Beautifly, Aaron's last Pokémon, was capable of taking down an entire team of elite warriors, Paul had been right from the start.

Still, Aaron was persistent in trying. "Solarbeam, let's go!" he shouted. Beautifly's wings began to glow, and then it shot out a yellow beam right at the Water-Ground type.

"Quick, Stone Edge!" Cynthia ordered. Gastrodon created three light blue rings its body, which quickly transformed into stones and blocked the oncoming attack completely. The pink slug-like Pokémon then fired its attack, which hit Beautifly directly and caused it to faint.

"Beautifly is unable to battle!" the announcer proclaimed. "And Cynthia keeps her title! Is there anybody Cynthia can't take down?"

"You're not helping, Mister Announcer Guy," Haley muttered as she trembled slightly.

Paul sighed. "You're not like Aaron," he stated, "and we still have a ways to go. Just ignore it." He then looked to Ash and his friends, who were quietly talking about the battle. There had been something tugging at Paul's mind, a question that he really didn't want to ask but felt like he needed to, because if he didn't, it was going to eat him from the inside.

"Paul?" Haley piped up. "Are you okay?"

He turned back to her. "I just...need to figure something out," he answered.

"About Chimchar?"

Once again she hit the nail on the head. "Something like that," he replied.

"Well, Mister Hypocrite, fine by me," Haley mumbled.

Paul took a breath, noting his change of face. He obviously couldn't go up to the group with a look of concern; so he calmed himself down to have his stoic, uncaring, and unreadable face. He then turned around and walked up to them, with Haley tagging along. Of course, when the trio heard footsteps, they turned their way. The duo stopped, and the groups stared. No words of greeting were exchanged this time, allowing Paul to get right to the point of his unexpected action.

"How did everything end up?" he asked his rival, hoping for nothing bad. But instead of answer, he got a confused noise and look from the younger Trainer. Paul wanted to ram himself against a wall.  _Use fucking words, you idiot!_ "I mean with Chimchar's Blaze," he clarified, still not believing he had done something so stupid as to not just come out with it.

Meanwhile, Ash went back to his frown, obviously thinking. It was silent for a while before he seemed to get a tad angrier and exclaimed, "I know Blaze is a strong ability, but you never find me relying on something like that in the middle of a battle!"

 _Oh thank God, he hasn't tried it since,_ Paul sighed in relief in his head. The last thing he wanted to hear was Chimchar getting hurt or worse. He smirked and chuckled a tiny bit, which to the trio came off as, "You're pathetic for not trying" but to him was, "Thanks for not killing who use to be my Pokémon". He then turned and walked off, surprising Haley a bit but also getting no complaints out of her. She went to follow.

"Man, what's his problem?" they heard Dawn huff in annoyance.

"So..." Haley egged on.

Paul looked at her and smirked wider. "I got exactly what I was hoping for," he answered.

They walked outside, intending to move on, but were stopped by three familiar-looking idiots in different costumes, probably as a disguise. "Well hello, you two," the woman cooed.

"We couldn't help but recognize you two as very talented Trainers, and we were wondering if any of your Pokémon needed top quality grooming," the man continued.

"Top Trainers need tip-top Pokémon," the Meowth stated.

Haley was ready to rip off their costumes, but Paul spoke up first. "Why not? We have time to kill," he answered.

"Huh?" His friend looked at him with a dumbfounded stare. She grabbed his jacket. "You can't be serious!" she exclaimed. "We have about half the region to cross, I can easily groom your Pokémon myself, and those three-" She stopped when he grabbed her hands.

"You need to relax," he told her. "For the past two weeks you have been worrying, agitated, and overall in need of a break. So take one. We have plenty of time to get to Canalave City, so don't worry about it."

The girl looked at him curiously. "Did we switch roles and I somehow didn't notice it?" she questioned.

Paul shrugged and easily got her to release him. "So, I was thinking my Torterra needs to be groomed the most," he said to the trio. "There's a clearing not too far from here."

They nodded. "We know exactly what you're talking about," the woman replied.

"Many Trainers have recommended that place so they can sit at the table we have set up and do their un-Trainer things," the man added.

"But remember, this is gonna cost ya!" Meowth reminded.

"As long as it's nothing too ridiculous," Paul agreed. Then he glared. "It better not be."

The trio grew nervous. "No, absolutely not!" they exclaimed. Then they quickly moved to the clearing in the trees near the Pokémon Center battlefield

Paul hummed and walked after them. Haley, meanwhile, was trying to figure out what words were. When she finally had her discovery, she followed after Paul. "You are not only giving them a chance to swipe our Pokémon, but also giving them money to create things to do so?!" she hissed.

He chuckled. "I find this amusing," he explained. Haley let out a cry of frustration.

So now the duo was sitting around a table, with Paul reading and Haley writing something down in a notebook she had while listening to music. Paul had released three of his Pokémon: Magmar, who choose a sunny rock to sleep on; Gliscor, who was happily hanging from a tree branch; and Torterra, who was always on alert of the trio that groomed him but never showed it. No, that was what Haley was for. All of her Pokémon stayed in their Poké Balls in her belt, and right before the trio went to wash Torterra she gave them the cold "I'm watching you" glare, making their faces go purple. She looked down at her notebook and tapped the table with her pencil. "Okay, so...hmm..."

Paul looked up from his book and over her shoulder. She had all of the Pokémon Cynthia and Aaron had used and was making notes to herself about them. He smirked and went back to reading. Though, it was a little hard to concentrate on that with the two constant distractions. One was Ash's training, which was in seeing distance but far enough away to where Ash couldn't see them. Paul was easily able to tune that out...sort of. The real one was Haley, who was muttering, tapping, and not to mention he could hear her music since her right ear bud was out. It was good, with a lot of songs Paul liked. And that was the problem.

The next song that played wasn't helping.

_You had me hooked again from the minute you sat down_

_The way you bite your lip got my head spinnin' around_

He had to resist singing and tapping to  _Troublemaker_ so badly. Why did this song have to be so evilly catchy?

_After a drink or two I was putty in your hands_

_I don't know if I have the strength to stand, oh oh oh..._

_Trouble troublemaker, yeah_

_That's your middle name, oh oh oh..._

The Veilstone Trainer prayed something would distract him from trying to do what his body really wanted to do. He got it.

"What a pleasure it is to see such strong and healthy growth!" the magenta haired woman complimented.  _Oh good, idiot banter,_ Paul thought. He wasn't sure if he was happy or annoyed with the new distraction.

"A good trim is worth its weight in gold, you know?" Meowth stated.  _Yes, yes, I'm paying you, jeez._

"You're in good hands with our hands," the man assured. Their Wobbuffet showed up to get a voice in.

Paul sighed internally. "Will you stop babbling and finish up?" he asked.  _If only to get the music to stop._

While the three whispered to themselves, Paul looked over Haley's shoulder again. Some of her notes, to him, were unreadable, but as long as she could read them.

_It's like you're always there in the corners of my mind_

_I see your silhouette every time I close my eyes_

_There must be poison in those fingertips of yours_

_'Cause I keep comin' back again for more, oh oh oh..._

Seriously, the song had to stop before he embarrassed himself. A Pokémon's name on the paper caught his attention and, hopefully, made the torture stop. "You know, she doesn't always use Gastrodon," he informed.

Haley looked at him, pausing the song as she did.  _Success!_ "She doesn't?" she questioned.

"Nope. Most of the time she uses her Togekiss."

She blinked. "Well," she sighed, "there's one more Pokémon to worry about." She scribbled onto the paper. "I mean, there are so many different combinations she could use, not to mention we only saw a handful of attacks today, and it's clear she switches moves around often." She began to mutter but never went to turn her music back on, too absorbed in her note taking. Then Paul heard the trio mutter something about how they would use the money and cackle, and he chuckled internally.  _Idiots._

"Let's go!" he heard Ash shout, and then a bunch of moves fired at once. Deciding he was getting nowhere in his book fast, he got up and dragged Haley along with him.

"Hey, I still-"

"I told you to relax, and that notebook isn't helping."

"Yeah, well you getting into a horn-locking contest with Ash doesn't help, either."

They stopped when they could see Ash's training in full view. "Better than thinking about Cynthia," he remarked. Haley grumbled. They watched as Pikachu, Buizel, and Chimchar were knocked back into Ash from the barrage of attacks. Dawn grew a little concerned, but the four brushed it off like it was nothing. Brock seemed to be giving words of advice, and after he was done the two younger Trainers ran off. The former Gym Leader turned in the opposite direction, and when he did he noticed the duo watching them.

Haley sighed. "Great, now we look like stalkers," she mumbled.

Paul rolled his eyes as Brock walked up to them. "Paul, Haley," he began, "I thought you two were already heading out of here."

"We were, and then this knucklehead wanted paid grooming when he could have gotten it for free," Haley explained in annoyance. Meanwhile, Brock's Happiny jumped out of his arms and happily skipped over to Torterra. She greeted him happily and then went to greet the other two Pokémon.

"Feeling a bit agitated?" Brock noted with a slight chuckle. Haley grumbled again. "I wonder how many people have told you to stop worrying about Cynthia."

"Far too many," Haley answered.

"Look, if you've got something to say to me, say it," Paul butted in. He knew Brock had come over because of him and not the girl next to him.

"To tell the truth," Brock admitted, proving Paul's point, "your style of training is pretty interesting."

Paul and Haley were confused. This was Brock, Ash's friend, a Breeder, one who cared for his Pokémon like they were his siblings or maybe his children. Wasn't he on Ash's side? Didn't he want to tell Paul off for being some sort of tyrannical dictator?

"I was wondering why you asked Ash about Chimchar before," Brock continued.

The purple haired Trainer panicked.  _He's knows!_ he shouted.  _But how?! That isn't possible! I've made sure of it! God, if I'm right, that's one more person who's looked past me! I can't have that!_ Outside, Paul remained as calm and unreadable as ever.

"I'm starting to think Ash is getting to you." If Paul didn't know any better, he would have sworn Brock was teasing him. Besides, Ash get to him? Please. Not likely. Nope. No chance.  _Though he is a better Trainer for- no, stop it!_

Paul didn't look Brock in the eye anymore. If Brock really had figured him out, it would be best to look away when he lied. "I can't believe he won't use Blaze...that's all." He felt Haley's stare, every bit of it shouting,  _Liar!_

"That's just Ash," the older male explained. "It's how he operates." Paul calmed down. He had probably been wrong about the former Gym Leader knowing his true feelings. Brock looked over at his friend. "You see, Ash is trying to develop his own battling style." He turned back to Paul. "I talked to Reggie while we were in Veilstone City." Paul was on high alert again, maybe even higher than before.  _What exactly did he say? I hope not too much. What if it was about...oh God, if he told him about Maylene...if he told him about my weaknesses...oh God Reggie, what did you say?_ "He told me you were training hard and developing your own style of battling."  _Oh, the same old same old._ "Is that true?"

"Personally, I find that a dumb question," Haley answered. "No offense. It's just, if everyone had the same battle style, every battle would be predictable, and no one wants that."

Brock laughed. "That's true," he agreed.

"Doesn't stop that brother of mine from having a big mouth," Paul snorted. Like other people really needed to know his business.

"He worries about you, you know," Brock stated.  _I do...but sometimes I just wish he'd butt out. Especially when it comes to battling; he doesn't have the right._ "But I was a little surprised when he told me he challenged his way around a lot of regions and gyms."  _Oh no, please no. Not again. Avoid talking about_ it _, please!_ The older male started thinking, as if he were trying to remember something. "Let's see..." Paul braced himself. "I think he was missing the Battle Frontier Brave Symbol, right?"

Damn it! Why did everyone who walked into their house and looked at their mantel have to bring that up? Why did Reggie even display them? Why was it always within a half a days journey to Hearthome City that he had to remember something painful? "Yeah, that's the one," Paul replied. "There he was, winning symbol after symbol," when Paul still admired him, wanted to be like him, "until he loses  _one_ battle and gives it all up, just like that!" And when Paul meant Reggie gave up everything, he meant it. He gave up on training, gave up on traveling...

Gave up on his promise.

"He should have been bitter," Paul continued, bottling more and more frustration as he did, "but  _no_. Instead, he was always smiling, always happy." He always had been. When Paul was crying, Reggie was smiling. When Paul was hurt, Reggie was smiling. What was so good about their lives that made him so God damn happy? Paul knew what: nothing. Absolutely nothing. "I'll never understand it," Paul grumbled. His frustration boiled over slightly. "I'm not Reggie! I'm  _won't_  do what he did, and I  _will not_ make the same  _pathetic_  mistakes!" He had been glad his brother had been there when he needed him most.

But he was still too bitter to just let that part of history go and forgive and open back up to him completely.

Haley looked at the purple haired teen. "Paul, are you okay?" she asked.

Paul was done with the subject. He had already spoken too much about it. "Just drop it," he muttered. Haley was about to push one too many buttons, though, but thankfully Ash's very loud training stopped her. The three turned to see the two younger Trainers and a group of hard-working Pokémon. Ash was complimenting his Pokémon, as always, and Paul just couldn't swallow something that was bugging him. He began to walk over, followed quickly by Brock and Haley.

"Why must fate be cruel to the innocent?" Haley questioned softly and in exhaustion.

Brock chuckled. "That's one of life's many mysteries," he stated.

The sound of Paul's name of Ash's mouth focused Brock and Haley's attention back to him. The three stopped, and Paul watched as Chimchar seemed to grow a tad bit scared. Piplup and Turtwig moved in front of him like bodyguards, not realizing the reason behind Chimchar's fear was because he instantly thought to how he had almost hurt everyone the last time they had seen the chimp's former Trainer.

After all, Pikachu had been sworn to secrecy.

Paul got right to what was bugging him, something that had pestered him every time he had looked up from his book to observe the training. "You're doing the exact same thing as me when you train!" he accused.

Ash looked appalled. "No way, Paul!" he argued. "How's this just like you?!"

To Paul, it couldn't be more obvious if a truck slammed into the black haired boy. But clearly, he had to clarify. "You having other Pokémon attack you so you boost your Pokémon's moves," he stated. He smirked. "How is that any different?"

"He's training for his rematch at the Hearthome Gym!" Dawn exclaimed, annoyed.

 _They never answer my fucking questions!_ Paul cried.  _And why does she always have to answer for him? Troublesome girl._ "So you're going to battle at the Hearthome Gym?" he questioned.  _With its stupid Ghost types and its...ugh, I seriously hate that city._

"That's right!" Ash answered. "Hey, you battled there, didn't you, Paul?"

Paul smirked, fished out the badge, and showed him _._ "Sure did, and obviously I won," he revealed.

"You make it sound as if it were easy," Haley muttered, an obvious teasing tone in her voice.

He so had enough of her today. "Like it was any easier for you," he countered.

"So, did you win?" Ash asked.

Haley showed off her own Relic Badge. "Yep," she stated. "It was...uh..." She was trying to think of the right word. "Put it simply, it wasn't easy."

"Why?"

"You ask too many questions," Paul butted in. "So, a rematch, huh?"

Ash looked at him with an angry face. "Okay, I did challenge Fantina and her Ghost type Pokémon before," he admitted, "but she kept hitting us with Hypnosis and I couldn't do a thing about it!" He lowered his voice and promised, "That is until next time."

Paul remembered how Fantina had only tried twice, with Luxray being the only time it worked. Immunities and speed advantages were great like that. "So now you think this times the charm?" Paul guessed. "All you have to do is keep hammering away and all of her Ghost type Pokémon will fall over."

"Ghosts...don't...di- AH!" Haley covered her face, which was now in pain thanks to a well-placed backhanded punch from Paul. "What the hell?!"

"Look, I have had it just about up to here with you today," Paul grumbled. He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why I even-" He stopped.  _Was I seriously about to say that? I am just losing it today._

"What were you going to say?" Ash asked.

"That's none of your business," Paul answered. "Besides, it doesn't have anything to do with us talking about how pathetic you are."

Ash growled. "I'll win it!" he declared. " _I_ happen to have  _faith_ in my Pokémon, and they've got faith in  _me_ , too! This time's different!"

Paul stared at him. "You're pathetic," he stated.

His rival growled again. "Alright, we'll just show you what we've got!" he exclaimed. Then he pointed at the older Trainer. "Let's have a battle!"

He didn't quite feel like it. Today was just draining. But maybe one more confirmation would help him decide. "All you had to say was you were using Chimchar's Blaze," he sighed. "That would have been enough."

"I already told you, I don't mess around with Blaze!" Ash shouted angrily.

There was silence. And then Paul smirked.  _Perfect answer._  "Alright then," he agreed. He held up one Poké Ball. "But only one Pokémon per side.  _That_ should be quite enough."

"Okay, fine with me," Ash confirmed. Then Turtwig looked at up at him.

"Hey, Ash!" he exclaimed.

Ash looked down at him. "Hey, Turtwig, what's going on?" he asked.

The Tiny Leaf Pokémon walked in front of him. "Let me battle!" he cried. His Trainer smiled and realized what the Grass type wanted.

"Okay, then I'll be the referee," Brock offered.

"I say no," Paul replied. "But if you said Haley would be referee, I would agree to that."

The four gave him quizzical looks. And then Haley caught on. "Oh no," she muttered.

"Oh yes," Paul stated evilly. Pay back time. "She told me the other day about your school performance, and then she said whenever you got the chance to ref to do so." He smirked. "It's the only thing you got a C in, if I recall."

Haley shook her head. "No way, absolutely not, I refuse!" she shouted.

Paul's smirk grew wider. "Now what would your teacher say to that?" he inquired. "What would your teacher say to this morning?"

She turned pale just imagining it. "Y-yes Mom, I mean ma'am, I mean..." She let out a cry. "Please don't fail me!" she shouted to old memories.

"Jeez, what happened in school?" Dawn questioned.

"You're glad you never got my mom as a teacher," Haley whined, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

 _And that's why I never went to school,_ Paul thought.

The boys made their way to their sides of the field. Dawn and Brock sat on a bench, with Haley not too far away. "This feels weird," she mumbled. "And embarrassing. I can't believe she told him." She hummed. "Wait, no, I can believe it." She sighed. "Well, are we ready?"

"Absolutely!" Ash exclaimed.

"He won't beat us this time!" Turtwig agreed.

Paul nodded. "Okay then. Dawn, can I see your Pokétch?"

"Sure," she stated. She took off her pink watch and handed it to Haley, who flipped through the apps to find the Coin Toss.

"Someone call for first move," she said.

"I will," Ash offered, "and I pick heads."

"Right, so Paul had tails," Haley confirmed. She tapped the screen, and the coin flipped. It landed on the side with the Poké Ball design. "Tails," she announced and handed the device back to its owner.

Ash didn't mind. He just took it with a determined face. "It's all you, Turtwig!" he encouraged.

"Right!" His Pokémon stepped forward.

Paul smirked. "Now, Honchkrow, stand by for battle!" he shouted, releasing the Big Boss Pokémon. It wasn't because of type advantage that Honchkrow had been chosen; he just happened to get really lucky.

Meanwhile, Ash pulled out his Pokédex. "Honchkrow, the Big Boss Pokémon and the evolved form of Murkrow," the robotic voice informed. "Honchkrow recruits many Murkrow to travel with it, and it spends much of its time at home preening its feathers."

Dawn frowned. "Sounds like quite a Pokémon to me," she mumbled, obviously referring to the fact that Paul would of course own such a Pokémon.

Haley sighed. "Turtwig, when it comes to pure speed, nobody can top you!" he commented. "So let's use that to our advantage and win this battle!" His Pokémon agreed.

Paul didn't. Like he was going to lose. "Okay then, boys," Haley said. "Battle begin!"

"Alright, Honchkrow, use Sky Attack!" Paul ordered without hesitation.

"Quick, Turtwig, use Energy Ball!" Ash countered.

The Tiny Leaf Pokémon fired the green ball of energy, and it zoomed towards Honchkrow, who had to charge because of his move. Of course, it didn't worry Paul at all when the attack hit. An ineffective move against his evolved Pokémon? Not a chance. "Like that did anything at all," he pointed out. "Honchkrow, go!" In a glowing white aura the Big Boss Pokémon charged at his opponent.

"Heads up, Turtwig!" Ash warned. The Grass type responded by jumping over the oncoming bird with an air somersault. He landed on his feet, and Ash was pleased. "Awesome!"

Paul kept going. "Use Night Slash!" he commanded. Honchkrow's wing glowed, and he charged once again.

"Dodge and use Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted. Turtwig demonstrated his amazing speed and zipped out of the way of Night Slash and got behind the Dark-Flying type. But what the smaller Pokémon wasn't expecting was Honchkrow to double back so quickly and still land his attack.

"You're going too easy, stop dodging!" Brock advised, sounding slightly agitated.

"Come on, you can do it!" Dawn encouraged.

 _I hate being ref,_ Haley sighed.

Meanwhile Turtwig landed on his feet without incident. Still, Paul wasn't going to give them any breathing room. "Use Aerial Ace!" His Pokémon became enveloped in an air cone and charged a third time. Turtwig tried to counter with Bite, but that only served to get the unevolved Pokémon in direct line for the attack. He was hit dead on, and Paul was still going strong. "Use Aerial Ace one more time!" Honchkrow doubled back.

Ash looked at his Pokémon struggling to stand. "Turtwig, get up!" he egged on. And he did, only to be hit by the black bird once more. Turtwig was still fighting, though, and so he stood up. "Can you still keep battling?" Ash asked.

"Y-yeah," Turtwig answered. And then he glowed white.

"Wh-what's going on?" Ash questioned, slightly alarmed.

"Turtwig's starting to evolve!" Brock announced.

Everyone watched, and Paul and Haley realized what this meant.  _This is bad,_ they thought. And while Haley frowned, Paul smirked.  _For him._

"Alright!" the newly evolved Grotle exclaimed, standing up on his hind legs. He then stood on all four, hitting the dirt with a loud  _CRASH!_ Ash pulled out his Pokédex.

"Grotle, the Grove Pokémon and the evolved form of Turtwig. Grotle lives near water in forests, and leaves the forest during the day to allow light to shine on the tree on its shell."

"Yeah!" Ash exclaimed, excited. "Alright, Grotle, I think it's time to mix it up!"

Paul wasn't going to let his celebration last. "Use Aerial Ace!" he commanded.

"Perfect!" the younger Trainer shouted. "Now let's give them a little taste of your new power by dodging and then using Energy Ball!" And how Grotle wanted to. But when he went to move it was like he was super glued to the ground, allowing Honchkrow to connect with no effort. Ash was confused. Paul wasn't, and he used that to his advantage.

"Sky Attack, let's go!" he ordered.

Ash wasn't going to back down. "Now's your chance, Grotle, so use Bite!" Grotle tried to move but he only succeed in falling over. "What's wrong, Grotle?"

"Come on, Honchkrow, get going!" Honchkrow didn't waste time.

"Grotle, you've gotta turn around!" Ash advised, but once again Grotle was immobile. The Grass type's opponent landed yet another clean hit. "Hey, come on, Grotle!" Ash encouraged. "You're super fast! You should be able to dodge that!"

Paul smirked. "A pathetic Trainer and his equally pathetic Pokémon," he mocked.

Of course Ash and Grotle didn't take a liking to that. "What's was that?!" the younger Trainer exclaimed.

"Alright, so where's that faith?" Paul mocked. "If you really think you can win with faith alone, then you're no better than any low life loser Trainer out there because you have no idea how Grotle's changed!" But the purple haired Trainer didn't bother to explain. His rival would find out sooner or later. Deciding to end it, Paul called out one last attack. "Honchkrow, Dark Pulse!" The Big Boss Pokémon fired and hit Grotle directly.

"Grotle, hang in there!" Ash shouted. He tried, but this time he gave up and slumped down completely.

"Oh gosh," Haley muttered. "He can't go easy even once." She ran up to Grotle, who hadn't quite fainted but looked like he was way past his limit. "Ash, Grotle needs medical attention now."

"M-medical attention?" he repeated.

"As in he can't just be sent to the healing machine and he'll be fine," Haley clarified. "He needs  _medical attention_."

Ash stared at her with a look of petrification. Then he looked at his fallen Pokémon. "But Grotle's too big," he stated, sounding worried. "How are we going to move him?"

Haley took a Poké Ball from her belt and threw it up. "Umbreon!" The Moonlight Pokémon emerged and shook herself out. "We've got a situation," her Trainer told her.

Umbreon looked at the fallen Grotle, and at once she lifted him up with Psychic. Then she looked at Ash. "Come on, follow me," she said, motioning as she did. Ash understood, and the two ran into the Pokémon Center, with Dawn and Brock soon to follow. Meanwhile, Haley walked over to Paul and Honchkrow. She put her hands on her hips and glared.

"Yes?" Paul egged on.

She huffed. "Once," she muttered. "Just once, Paul, can you  _not_ push things too far?"

"If his Pokémon are too weak to take my attacks, that's not my problem," he countered.

"Grotle was past him limit and you know it," Haley stated. "And how is Ash supposed to know what happens between the stages of a Turtwig and a Grotle? May I remind you I didn't. We're not exactly from around here."

"Why is it that you're siding with him?" Paul shot at her.

"Siding?" Haley repeated, sounding slightly offended. "I'm not siding. I'm pointing out another possibility." Paul rolled his eyes, making Haley's glare worse. "And why is it that every time we see them you're suddenly completely unbearable to be around?"

He looked at her. "What are you talking about?" he asked flatly.

"Oh don't give me that shit," Haley snapped. "I've seen you, Paul. Whatever that was isn't you."

"Maybe it is," he stated.

Haley pinched the bridge of her nose. "This. Is exactly. What I'm talking about," she huffed. "No you're not, Paul. For some reason you feel the need to become someone completely opposite of you in almost every way. I'm still wondering if you actually even care about Chimchar or not you make it so confusing."

"For someone who claims to be able to read emotions you sure are terrible at it," Paul told her.

" _Excuse_ me?!" she exclaimed.

"First off, I do care," he informed. "I say otherwise so they don't get that."

"Why? What is so bad about them knowing?"

"Ever hear of a mask?"

She glared harder. "Oh, so you're saying you're a coward," she accused.

" _What_?!"

"Only cowards pretend to be someone they're not."

Infuriated, Paul grabbed her collar and pulled her forward. "I am not a coward!" he shouted.

"Then why do you insist on hiding?"

"Because the last thing I need are more people laughing at me!"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because Ash is  _totally_ the type of guy to laugh at your fears," she replied sarcastically.

"Maybe he is."

"You don't know that."

"And you don't know if he isn't."

"Have you ever tried?"

"I've tried plenty!" Paul cried. And with that, the world seemed to stop. Many moments passed before Paul finally loosened his grip. He didn't let go, but now Haley felt less intimidated and the need to stand up, and more of a need to be gentler. "And look where it got me," he continued softly, looking at the ground. "Friends...were never really friends for me."

Haley softened her face. "Are you sure about that?" she questioned.

Paul didn't answer. He then turned his head to see Torterra, who had been watching everything with an intense eye. "Sometimes, I'm not so sure." He sighed and finally let go. The teens looked at each other. "Sorry," he muttered.

"I am too," Haley admitted. "I just never understand masks. Maybe it's because I can't relate."

To Paul, the world was too scary without one. He sighed. "Today's just been one-"

"Tiresome, troublesome, annoying day?" Haley offered.

Paul smirked. "And who's fault is that?" he joked.

"It's been a group effort," she answered.

Since neither of them felt like traveling, they decided to just waste the day away. First order of business, pay Team Rocket and then send them blasting off (that second part being Haley's idea without warning). Then while Haley went back to note taking, Paul decided to train his Pokémon. By the time sunset was approaching, he had trained almost all of them. The last two on the roster were Weavile and his recently groomed Torterra.

No matter how you looked at them, the three idiots actually did a decent job. The extra, unnecessary twigs that had begun springing up were cleanly cut away, and he looked as sharp as ever. It would help in the accuracy of his attacks and his health. "Frenzy Plant, let's go!" He ordered. Torterra summoned the thorny vines and shot them straight at Weavile. But the Dark-Ice type was ready.

"Not happening, big guy!" he announced. He jumped out of the way, created an ice ball in between his claws, and quickly threw the Ice Shard at his senior, landing a direct hit.

"Your reactions too slow!" Paul scolded. So in response, Torterra roared and made the vines move even faster and harder than before. Weavile wasn't able to keep up and was slammed to the ground. "Alright, that was more like it." Then Torterra moved his head, looking towards the window of the Pokémon Center. "What's the matter with you?" His starter looked back at him with an intense gaze.

The Continent Pokémon had been thinking the same thing.

XXX

_"Awesome, you-" Paul shook his head and calmed himself down. "You evolved. Maybe now you'll be less pathetic." Grotle looked back at him with a calm stare. His ten-year-old Trainer sighed. "Being a jerk is hard," he admitted. "Okay, Grotle, you're a lot stronger now, but let's see how strong. Try destroying that tree with Bite." Grotle attempted to run, but he ended up collapsing. "Grotle!" The boy shook his head again. "No, you're suppose to yell, tell him off for failing and- oh, forget it for now." He ran over to his Pokémon. "Are you okay?" The Grove Pokémon looked at him and nodded. Paul watched as his Grass type stood up. "What happened? You use to be super fast. You evaded Daisy's Starmie with ease." He sat on the ground and pulled out his Pokédex, figuring made it had some sort of answer. He switched from Turtwig to Grotle, looking for any changes. And then he found it: weight. Grotle was roughly ten times heavier than his previous form. Paul frowned. "Now what?" he asked. "We were so focused on making you a speedy hard hitter. Does that mean we have to change it?" Grotle lied down next to him, and Paul leaned up against the 3 foot 7 Pokémon. "Being a Trainer is hard," he decided._

XXX

The only reason Paul had gotten a little miffed over his rival's mistake was because it reminded Paul of himself and his own mistake. A mistake that would to many defeats that ultimately made their Kanto journey last two years instead of one. Well, that and other reasons, but that wasn't the topic right now. Paul huffed. "Stop," he told his starter. "Why won't you just let it be?"

"Maybe because he's worried about Grotle," Haley pointed out. Paul turned to her.

"I'm sure he is," Paul agreed, "but that's not what he's thinking of." Haley looked impressed. "What?"

"How do you know that?"

Paul looked to the Continent Pokémon, and after a few moments he shrugged. "Weavile, come on, we need to work on your dodging," he stated. Weavile tilted his head but ended up complying, and they walked off.

Haley sighed and sat next to Torterra. "Why can't he just admit that he has a connection with you?" she asked.

"That's just him," Torterra replied. He smiled. "It's how he operates." Haley chuckled.

The group slept outside that night. Torterra and Umbreon slept out of their Poké Balls, and it allowed them to hear crashing in the distance later that night. Umbreon lifted her head in alert when she heard the first crash. "What's going on?" she muttered.

"Grotle's trying to get his speed back up," Torterra answered as he stood up. "It won't work."

Umbreon looked up at him. "So you're going to help?" she asked.

"As much as I can," he replied. He looked at the purple haired Trainer, who was fast asleep. "I didn't have anyone to teach me, and I know how it feels." He then began walking towards noise.

The Dark type watched him go. "Mmm...Umbreon?" The Pokémon's ears perked at the sound of her Trainer's moan. She turned her head to see her sleepy half-closed eyes. "What's happening?" Umbreon quickly told her. "Okay, I'm going to follow him," the girl decided. She quickly threw her white shirt over her night tank and slipped on her shoes without socks. "Stay here and watch Paul." Haley ran after Torterra, just in time to watch as he met up with Ash's Pokémon.

And of course they weren't so trustworthy.

"What do you want?" Pikachu asked, sounding slightly on edge.

"Not much," Torterra replied calmly.

"If you're here to mock me..." Grotle growled.

"Hold on!" The group turned to see Chimchar. "There's no need to fight!"

Torterra looked at the young chimp, and then back to Grotle. "Listen and watch," he said.

"What?" the unevolved Pokémon questioned in confusion.

The older Pokémon looked to Gliscor. "Gliscor, I need you," he stated.

"M-me?" he clarified. "Sure. What do you need me to do?"

"Attack me," Torterra answered.

Gliscor looked confused. "Okay then." He sprang up and then charged with Steel Wing.

But Torterra didn't move. Instead, when Gliscor hit him, he just absorbed it. Gliscor tried again with X-Scissor this time. Torterra did the exact same thing. Ash's Pokémon went in with more attacks, and still the response was to take in the attack. Grotle and the others watched in awe. Gliscor went to use X-Scissor, and this time the Continent Pokémon responded differently. He got up on his hind legs and slammed down onto the Fang Scorpion Pokémon. He pushed him back with his legs, and then he used Frenzy Plant. Gliscor prepared for the full force, but Torterra stopped the vines right before they connected. When he didn't feel any pain, the Ground-Flying type looked up to watch as the vines retracted.

"See?" he told the other Grass type. "All you have to do is wait for the right moment."

"Right," Grotle agreed with a smile and nodded.

Suddenly Ash and his friends came running up to the clearing, and Grotle's Trainer began to thank Torterra for giving the younger Pokémon some pointers. He then repeated what he had witnessed, as a sort of review/reminder to himself and his Grass type. And when he was all done, Torterra looked at Grotle. "Well, I'll be seeing you," he told him.

"Yeah," Grotle replied. "And thank you."

Torterra nodded and walked off, and when he was out of eye distance Haley jumped on his back. "Thanks for doing that, Torterra," she said. "I think he really needed it."

"I agree," the Continent Pokémon responded. He heard Haley sigh. "Don't worry about what Paul thinks, okay? I don't usually." Just as he finished he stopped, noticing his Trainer with Umbreon at the boy's side. The four stared at each other, and then Paul walked up so he was right in front of him. With Torterra's gaze, Paul couldn't say anything more than:

"You're certainly a curious one."

Haley smiled and slid off the back of the Pokémon. "I wonder where he picked that up from Mister I'm-Just-Gonna-Watch-Him-Train," she teased. Paul stared at her, and then suddenly picked her up like she was a sack of potatoes and began to walk back to their campsite. "H-hey, put me down!" she commanded as she squirmed.

Paul didn't say anything. "You know, if you ever tell people I'm a nice guy," he began. Then he smirked. "I'll feed you more eggs."

"What, so they don't believe me?" Haley questioned dully.

He turned his head to meet her eyes and smirked wider. "Absolutely."

...

Haley walked into the Pokémon Center like a zombie. For some reason she didn't get enough sleep. Probably that stupid twig sticking into her side that she couldn't seem to escape. She yawned and walked up to Nurse Joy, handing the older woman her six Poké Balls. "I just want to make sure they're at 100%," she said.

"Of course," the nurse stated and took the Poké Balls. "By the way, that friend of yours is waiting for you in one of the booths over there."

The girl sighed. "Thank you," she muttered and trudged over, expecting another torture session. She slid into the seat across from Paul, who had his eyes closed and arms crossed. Something made a buzzing noise, and he stood up and walked to the counter. And when he returned, the smell of chocolate flooded her nose. Haley thought she might have been dreaming, seeing as she was half asleep, but then Paul placed a plate in front of her with two "CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES!" she squealed with joy.

Paul smirked and set down a Grepa Berry juice, MooMoo milk, and his own plate of a mushroom omelet. "I woke up and for some reason I felt as if I owed you, which isn't really true," he explained, and whether he was serious or not was unknown. Haley didn't care because she started digging in as he sat down. "You're welcome, by the way."

His friend looked at him and swallowed what was in her mouth. "Oh, right..." she mumbled sheepishly. "Thank you, Paul."

"That's more like it," Paul chuckled. The two finished breakfast quicker than the morning before and then brought their plates to the bin. Then they heard Nurse Joy call for them, saying their Pokémon we're all healed. Ready to head out, the Trainers took their Pokémon, put them in their belts, and began to walk off.

"Hey Paul!" They turned around to see Ash and his friends walk towards them. "Last night was really something," Ash continued. "We wanted to thank Torterra for everything it did." Grotle agreed.

Paul didn't agree to this. "I had nothing to do with Torterra did," he responded. Haley turned forward and rolled her eyes but followed him anyway.

"What's wrong with you, Paul?!" they heard Dawn shriek. "I still don't understand how someone like Haley could follow a cold, heartless jerk like you!"

Haley whipped around. "Dawn, butt out," she warned.

"I'm only looking out for you because unlike him, I'm a friend!" Dawn argued.

"A friend who doesn't know what she's talking about!" Haley shot back.

Dawn growled. "Fine, how about this?" she offered. She pointed at the older female. "Let's have a battle. If you lose, you have to start traveling on your own!"


	25. I'm Not Jealous

Haley looked at Dawn's determined eyes and outstretched finger with confusion. Then she started chuckling, which soon erupted into laughter. "Wh-what's so funny?" Dawn asked, dropping her finger but not her look.

The older girl's laughter petered out, and as it did she gently grabbed Dawn's shoulders. "Dawn," she began, remnants of chuckling in her voice, "do you realize what you're asking? You want to fight  _me_ , a three time Elite Four Runner Champion. I've been through dozens of extremely tough fights. You've only started out. I get your intentions, Dawn, but I think you're a little in over your head."

"Don't try to back out of this!" Dawn snapped, causing Haley to back up a bit in surprise. "I want to fight you, right here right now!"

"Yeah, fight us!" Piplup, who had been sitting on top of Grotle, quickly agreed. He even stood up to emphasize and pointed his fin much like his Trainer had.

Haley dropped her smile and formed a serious line. "I get it," she said.

"Then why won't you fight me?!"

"Because it'll end badly for you," Haley reasoned. "I've been at this longer than you. You won't be able to beat me."

Dawn had a scowl on her face. "Is that a fact?" she questioned. "Because I'd like to see you prove it!"

"Prove it!" Piplup chirped. "Prove it!"

"Dawn, Piplup-"

"Just do it." Everyone looked at Paul, who was really annoyed at this point.

Haley's shoulders drooped. "You...mean that?" she asked along with Dawn, who sounded slightly...excited?

"Anything to stop this pointless bickering," he answered.

"Come on, Haley, a battle with Dawn won't hurt," Ash commented.

"Yeah, it'll be fun!" Pikachu exclaimed.

Brock smiled and chuckled nervously. "Even if the stakes are...interesting," he stated.

"Let's do it!" Dawn proclaimed. "And I have an idea on the matches! We'll use five Pokémon each but there are three rounds, the first two being double battles. The last battle will be singles between our starters." Piplup puffed out his chest. "If we get that far, because it's two out of three."

Haley's head scanned all four Trainers, landing on Paul last. "Well, if you're sure," she hesitantly agreed. And while it could have sounded as if she was agreeing with everyone, Paul felt it was mostly aimed at him for some reason.

"Whatever," he huffed and walked towards the battlefield.

Outside, the girls took the positions their traveling partners had been in only the day before. Only this time, only one person was fully committed. Even Paul was into his own battle, but Haley was still worried about what the outcome would be when the battle was over. Dawn, on the other hand, didn't have even the smallest traces of worry in her voice, face, or posture. "Ambipom, Swinub, spotlight!" she exclaimed, and her two Pokémon appeared all ready to go.

Haley still didn't like this idea, but sighed. "Guess if there's no way out of this, I might as well just go with it," she half-heartedly gave in. "Torterra, Staraptor, time to shine!" Her two calmest Pokémon appeared and looked at their two opponents and the Trainer behind them. They gave skeptical looks and turned their heads.

"Um...Haley, are we sure about this?" Staraptor questioned nervously.

"We've been backed into a corner, so let's do what they want," Haley informed. "Just do what we usually do, okay?"

Her Pokémon looked at each other and then their opponents. "Well, if they insist…" Torterra complied.

The older Trainer looked at the midnight blue haired girl. "We need to decide on who goes first," she said. "I call-"

"Tails," both girls called. Well, Dawn exclaimed it, actually. She sounded almost too eager to choose that side of the coin, which Haley found very strange. It was just the side of a coin; why did it matter which one? With a curious stare at her junior, Haley sighed.

"Fine, I'll have heads," she stated. "So go for the coin toss, okay?"

"Right!" Dawn happily tapped her Pokétch, and the virtual coin flipped. She beamed. "It's tails!" she revealed.

Paul wanted to double check, so he walked over and looked at the device. "Looks like you're right," he confirmed.

"What, you thought I was lying?" Dawn grumbled.

"I just wanted to make sure," he replied and began to walk over to where he had been sitting. "Troublesome girl."

Dawn's mouth opened up wide. "What did you just call me?" she asked in disbelief.

"You heard me," Paul said. "It fits better than your real name."

"You jerk!" Dawn shouted. "My name is perfectly fine, thank you!"

Paul turned his head to look at her. "What was it again?" he questioned.

"I-it's Dawn!"

"You hesitated there." Dawn looked like she was about to blow her lid, and then he smirked. "I still think Troublesome fits better." Then he walked back, leaving behind a furious Dawn...

...who, Haley noticed, gave off a small smile.

But why?

Haley cleared her throat to get Dawn's attention. "You ready?" she inquired.

"Of course!" she eagerly shouted. "Ambipom, use Double Team!" Suddenly there were a dozen or maybe even more clones of the Long Tail Pokémon, confusing Torterra and Staraptor on which one was real.

"Don't lose your heads!" Haley advised. "Just take them out!" Her team nodded, and they used Seed Bomb and Aerial Ace (respectively) to get rid of all the clones. But as the field started to clear, Haley noticed that Swinub was nowhere to be seen. A single hole where it has once been was the only thing that remained. The black haired Trainer growled lowly. "Torterra, use Earthquake!" she commanded. The Continent Pokémon made the earth shake, fishing Swinub out of the ground and into the air.

Right next to three Ambipom ready to attack.

"Ambipom, use Swift!" Dawn ordered. The three Pokémon swiped their tails but the one on the left was the only one that fired.

"Staraptor, use Aerial Ace and fly right through those stars!" The Predator Pokémon took off in the white cone right at the Swift.

"Stop it with Ice Shard!"

"Don't let that happen, Torterra!" But since Ice Shard was a fast move, before Haley's Pokémon could fire, Swinub had fired the ball of ice at his teammate. Haley grumbled. "Dodge that, Staraptor!" The Flying type swooped higher into the air, and while the ice completely missed, the unavoidable stars didn't. "Staraptor!" Haley cried as her Pokémon crashed into the ground. "Come on, Star, you can do it!" She started to get back on her talons.

Dawn had other plans for her, though. "Ambipom, use Focus Punch!" she shouted, and the Long Tail Pokémon zoomed towards the ground, one of its tail hands glowing white.

"Counter with Close Combat!" Staraptor stretched out her wings and took flight, clashing her right talon with the hand.

"Double Hit!"

"Keep up the Close Combat! And Torterra, use Seed Bomb on Swinub!" Her Pokémon went to do just that.

But Seed Bomb never hit its intended target.

"Ambipom, grab Staraptor and throw it in the line of fire!" Dawn commanded. Caught off guard by the order, Staraptor accidentally let herself get caught and thrown at the incoming seeds. Torterra's eye widened but couldn't stop the attack. He and his Trainer watched hopelessly as Staraptor took the full force of the attack.

"Star!" they both cried in horror.

"Torterra, get Ambipom with Giga Drain!" Haley instructed.

"With pleasure!" he responded. The peaks on his back glowed green, but the attack wasn't able to execute as he was nailed in the stomach by Swinub's Dig. Despite its small size, it was able to flip Torterra onto his side.

Staraptor scowled. "Get away- oof!" Ambipom had come up from behind and punched the Predator Pokémon into the Grass-Ground type, causing Torterra to be right side up again. However, both of them were getting very tired.

And Dawn's next call certainly didn't help.

"Use Ice Shard!" she ordered once more, and with one last ball of super effective ice...

Torterra and Staraptor had fainted.

Getting an unusual facial expression from Dawn: a smirk. "Now are you going to take us seriously?" she questioned as she returned her victorious duo.

Haley looked downcast as she returned her two Pokémon. But Paul noticed it was different compared to her downcast look from when Cynthia beat her.

This was...a calm before a storm.

"You want us to take you seriously?" she asked calmly.  _Too calmly,_  Paul noted. "Fine. We'll take you seriously.  _Very_ seriously." She took two Poké Balls from her belt and released Infernape and Luxray.  _Oh boy,_ Paul sighed, actually worried about how the next round would play out. "Infernape, Luxray," Haley began, sounding calm and slightly formal, making her sound as if she was mocking the younger girl. Maybe she was. "Dawn wants us to take her seriously."

The two new Pokémon looked at the Coordinator, their faces changing from slightly confused to evil and dark smirks. "So, the girly wants to kick off her heels and play in the mud," Luxray chuckled.

"She thinks she's ready for the big leagues," Infernape added.

"Let's show her why that's a bad idea," Haley ended with a growl.

No one had ever seen the usually calm, cheerful girl like this. For the first time Dawn was on Haley's side, now slightly unsure if the battle should actually continue and wondered if maybe she had crossed a line she shouldn't have. Immediately she shook that out of her mind; she had a battle to win, after all. "Buneary, Pachirisu, spotlight!" she called out, releasing the two small Pokémon. "Haley, you get first move this round."

"Gladly." The reply was too calm. It sounded…creepy. "Infernape, use Mach Punch on Buneary!" Infernape literally became a blur as he seemingly disappeared and reappeared in front of the small Normal type Pokémon and punched it straight into the sky.

In one move, everyone discovered what "serious" meant. And it wasn't pretty.

Dawn had something to prove, though, and she couldn't let the older girl get to her so quickly. "Pachirisu, Discharge on Infernape!" she ordered.

"Don't let that happen, Luxray!" Haley shouted. The feline pounced right in front of her comrade and absorbed the blue electricity.

"H-hey!" the young Pokémon squealed. "You can't absorb my attack, meanie!"

"Sure I can," Luxray countered. Then she smirked. "But can you?" And she fired a Thunderbolt at the young boy.

"Buneary, Ice Beam!" Dawn cried.

"Infernape!"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" He got right next to his teammate and fired a Flamethrower over her back to protect her from the blue beam.

Luxray smirked, taking one eye off the small squirrel. "It's a little too toasty for my liking," she jokingly criticized. The chimp smiled in response and then immediately made his Flamethrower stronger. Thunderbolt struck Pachirisu. He screamed out in pain, unable to take the double strength Electric attack. The fire stream, meanwhile, overpowered the Ice Beam and landed a direct hit on the Rabbit Pokémon. Dawn and Piplup cried out in concern for the small Pokémon.

But Haley wasn't done showing the young girl and her Pokémon what "serious" meant.

"Both of you, finish them," she ordered hauntingly. The two chuckled and went into action. Luxray pounced and latched her fangs onto Pachirisu's tail, causing him to squirm and squeal for freedom. Infernape leapt into the air and grabbed the Normal type.

"Going down?" he asked with a wide, creepy grin. Buneary's face quickly filled with fear.

"Buneary, Dizzy Punch! Pachirisu, Discharge!"

Once again, the attacks didn't hit their intended targets.

Infernape pitched Buneary towards his teammate as the Rabbit Pokémon's ears began to glow multicolored. On the ground, Luxray flung the squirrel in the air, and the small comrades collided. Buneary received all of the blue electricity while Pachirisu took the entire punch for himself. Dawn's Pokémon collapsed onto the ground, and there was no question that the two had completely fainted.

Leaving Dawn in a state of shock.

"So," Haley began as her Pokémon leapt back in front of her. Dawn looked at her very cold gaze. "Still wish to be taken seriously?"

Dawn felt as if the battle hadn't even lasted a minute or two. Maybe "seriously" was too harsh. "Um, maybe we can tone it down...just a bit?" she suggested.

Paul couldn't help but agree with the Coordinator for once. What Haley had just displayed was ruthless, even for his standards. In fact, he was pretty sure if she went any harsher, in a real battle she would have been disqualified for unnecessary roughness. He turned his head to look directly at her, and seeing his movement she turned to meet his gaze. Without a single word she understood what he wanted. And she looked...

Shocked?

For what reason?

A few seconds passed before Haley sighed and looked at the younger girl. "Fine," she agreed, sounding slightly begrudging. She returned her two victorious Pokémon. Then she grabbed a Poké Ball. "Looks like you and I will have that tie breaker after all."

"Right," Dawn said, nodding. "Piplup, spotlight!" The penguin jumped from her side onto the battlefield.

"I've got this!" he declared in his prideful Piplup way.

Haley looked at the small blue Pokémon and then enlarged her best friend's Poké Ball. "Umbreon, battle stance!" The red-and-white ball released the well-seasoned Pokémon, and immediately she was in a hunting position.

"Try and keep up," she growled.

On the sidelines, Ash and Pikachu were pumped, not being able to wait and see what they figured would be an awesome round. Brock was slightly concerned for both girls, not quite sure how either of them would react to losing. And Paul was just…kind of there. "Loser goes first," he suddenly decided.

Haley looked at him, confused. "Huh?"

"You went first last round, when you lost," he explained. "So it would be best to keep it that way."

"That makes sense!" Dawn agreed happily. "I was actually going to ask who goes first, but you're totally right! Thanks Paul!" He grunted in response and looked away...

...but not before noticing the slight scowl on Haley's face.

"Yeah, yeah, can we just get on with it?" the fourteen-year-old asked, the slight annoyance not slipping Paul by.

 _Why has she been so irritated?_ Paul questioned.  _And Troublesome has been really excited lately._ "Of course!" Dawn answered, not noticing the annoyance. "Piplup, let's kick things off with Bubblebeam!" The plethora of blue bubbles zoomed right towards Umbreon.

Haley didn't skip a beat. "Faint Attack!" The Moonlight Pokémon began to disappear and reappear from sight, switching from one side of the stream to the other and getting closer and closer to the Penguin Pokémon with each appearance.

"Use Bide!" Dawn ordered. Piplup began to glow white, waiting to brace Umbreon's attack.

But it never came.

Because right before she made contact, Umbreon jumped over him.

Piplup canceled the light and turned to face her, extremely pissed. "You can't just do that!" he exclaimed, waving his fins like crazy.

"Sure I can. It's called jumping." Umbreon then met his eyes. "Oh, by the way..." She charged, ramming into him with no resistance and sent him flying. "Never let your guard down."

The tiny blue penguin landed on his back with a  _THUMP_  but quickly sprung to his feet, once again beyond angry. "Alright, that's it! No more Mister Nice Guy!" he declared.

"Bring it on, Tiny."

"You're only two feet taller than me!"

"Works fine enough for me."

"You'll regret insulting me!"

"You'll regret picking a fight with us."

So the battle raged on, a flurry of projectiles and physical attacks coloring the battlefield. Piplup would use Bubblebeam; Umbreon would counter with Dark Pulse. The Moonlight Pokémon attacked with Shadow Ball; the Penguin Pokémon made sure Whirlpool swallowed it up (although he also hoped it would keep going and hit her; it never did). One side used Peck; the other would collide with Faint Attack. Haley never called out for Psychic because it seemed cheap in this battle; Dawn rarely called out Bide for fear her opponent would jump over again. The girls commanded fiercely, and their Pokémon would match the tone. The spectators were stunned at how intensely the two Trainers fought in order to win. Haley didn't want to lose to a junior Trainer; Dawn wanted to prove she had what it took. The original bet was long forgotten by a certain point.

Especially when Piplup let something interesting accidentally slip.

"I still don't get why she fighting to impress him," he mumbled. "He's such a jerk, anyways." Unfortunately, he also happened to be right next to Umbreon as he battled off another Faint Attack.

Umbreon gave a look of surprise and confusion. Then she jumped back from the Faint Attack/Peck lock. "Say that again," she requested.

The look on Piplup's face told Umbreon and her Trainer that he had said something that was suppose to go unheard. "S-say what again?" he feigned innocence.

His opponent glared. "Not falling for that. Tell me what you said."

The Water type looked nervous now. "Um…err…y-you'll get to find out if you beat me!" he offered.

"Haley," Umbreon stated, "this battling isn't continuing until I know  _exactly_ what Piplup said and what he meant."

The black haired girl was usually not one to just stop a battle, but it just so happened she too was interested in what Piplup had to say. "Piplup, what exactly did you say?" she insisted.

Everyone was confused. "Piplup, you said something?" Dawn asked.

Piplup quickly turned around to face his Trainer. "No, no, no!" he denied, waving his fins back and forth as he shook his head.

"Piplup…" Umbreon growled.

He gulped, obviously finding her growls really scary. With his whole body shaking he turned to meet his opponent's red eyes. "Uh…well…you see…Dawn's excuse to have this battle…was, uh, kind of…a lie," he revealed.

Umbreon blinked. "What? So then, what's the real reason?"

The Penguin Pokémon gulped again. "Dawn figured…it was the only way to…gain Paul's attention and respect because…um…she has a slight…crush…on him." To finish off his explanation he got his fins as close as they possibly could be without touching each other, to show off what he meant by "slight". He even added a nervous grin to the whole thing.

As if he seriously thought that would make everything okay.

There was a deadly, deadly,  _deadly_  silence. Everyone could feel it, although the four Trainers weren't quite sure why. Then Pikachu sighed. "I suddenly have a bad feeling," he mumbled.

And how right he unfortunately was.

" _WHAT?!_ " Haley shrieked. " _That_ is the  _entire_ reason why we're having this battle?! Are you kidding me, Dawn?! How could you be so…so… _childish_ about this?!"

"A-about what?" Then it hit her, and she looked nervous yet also slightly confused. "H-how did-"

"I'm not saying this because I'd rather it be about my 'safety'," Haley continued, interrupting Dawn's obvious question. "I'm saying this because you  _lied_ to me! I can't  _believe_ you'd do something like that! I thought we were friends." Then she spat. "Though I guess we never really were, since I realized what this battle is actually about."

Dawn looked incredibly guilty. "H-Haley, I-I'm sorry-"

"You know what, Dawn?" the agitated girl interrupted once more. "I don't want to finish this battle any more. You win. Congratu- _fucking_ -lations. Have at the grand prize, assuming he actually cares." She looked down at Umbreon. "We're leaving." The Moonlight Pokémon readily agreed, and the two stormed off.

Ash blinked. "What…what just…happened?" he asked.

"I'm…not entirely sure," Brock stated.

Paul found himself agreeing with both of them completely on this one. Whatever just occurred was beyond bizarre. There was a bunch of meows and chirpings with one or two lines of interjections from their Trainers and then suddenly Haley was having a hissy fit and storming away.  _Knowing her, though, it might be for good reason,_ Paul reasoned. Then he realized something: Haley was  _storming_   _away_. She didn't even demand for Paul to follow or even stormed up to him to grab his wrist and drag him along.

She was leaving.

Shit.

Not caring about any weird looks he might get, Paul ran after her. He was surprised she and her Dark type had gotten pretty far. "What was that all about?" he inquired.

"Why are you here?" she snapped, not bothering to answer. She stopped to face him. "Well, go on, shoo! We're not supposed to travel together anymore, remember? And I'm pretty sure your girlfriend is waiting for you."

The teen looked back with a curious stare. And then he couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Really?" he replied, remnants of laughter still remaining. "Troublesome, my girlfriend? Seriously?" She didn't drop her angry face, but he sure did drop his amused one. "Oh God, you're fucking serious."

"Seeing as you've been  _agreeing_ with her all day," Haley reasoned. "Meanwhile she's over there being extremely giddy, you're teasing her with this kind of out of nowhere nickname, and let's not forget you were apparently the grandiose prize. So excuse me for assuming something was going on that I somehow didn't notice." But Paul didn't hear that last sentence.

His mind was stuck on that last bullet point.

"I was  _what_?!" he finally shouted when his mind powered back up.

"She wanted to impress you," Haley explained, annoyed. "She wanted your respect, she wanted your attention, she wants  _you_. Seeing as how you've been acting today, I wouldn't be surprised if she already has you." She began to walk away again, but Paul stopped her with words.

"What exactly have I done today to give that impression off?" he questioned.

She huffed and spun around. "Must I list?" Haley questioned.

No, Paul could pretty much pinpoint all of the moments, now that he thought about it. "That still doesn't mean anything," he pointed out. "Since when did I ever give any indication that I liked her? When, I ask you. At what point did I even really talk to her, interact with her, or do anything involving her? In fact, you  _know_ all of this. Hell, you've  _been_ there for pretty much every single time I've seen them, save three days. To top this all off, she's ten.  _Ten_. So why are you trying to argue for something you know isn't true?" Haley opened her mouth, but then clearly thought Paul was right and shut it. "Why does it matter so much, anyway?"

His friend didn't answer right away, and then her eyes focused on the ground. "I…I don't know," she revealed, finally swapping the annoyed, angry look for a kind of guilty one. "Maybe it's because I was just upset that she lied to me about why we were battling. And you were just…surprising me about how you were agreeing with her quite a bit. Though, I guess they all made sense so…"

Paul found that understandable. Still not right, but understandable. Then another realization came to him: this all sounded very familiar, and he quickly figured out why that was. He smirked. "You're jealous," he stated slyly.

Haley's eyes snapped up to meet his. "What?"

"You're jealous," he repeated.

She looked slightly flustered at his accusation and leaned back a bit. "T-that's crazy," she denied.

"And I can tell you why," Paul continued as if she hadn't said anything. He chuckled. "You like me." Haley's face was dusted pink and she shook her head. "Don't deny it," he told her. He then cornered her, with her back up against a tree and one of his arms leaning against it. His smirk widened. "You want me. And you're so head over heels for me you don't want to share. You're afraid some other girl will take me for herself, even if it's irrational for said girl to ever get me to fall in love with her."

The black haired girl continued to give him the same shy look she had on since he accused her the second time. Then she had a look of realization. "What about you?" she stated.

He blinked, dropping his smirk. "What?"

"All the times that you've gotten irritated by some random guy," she pointed out, "how you desperately you wanted to travel with me again, and I'm pretty sure you're the one who ordered Luxray to toss Hamilton into the pool."

Aw crap. "Y-you don't have proof," he countered, looking away.

"Neither do you," Haley replied. Then she gave off a small smirk. "But I'm guessing I'm pretty close to being right." Wrong; she was already right. Haley then turned the tables on him and began to back him up to the tree across from the one she had been up against. "I bet you dream of cuddling me-" yes "-of touching me-"  _yes_ (speaking of touching, his back was now against that tree, and her smirk grew) "-of kissing me."

 ** _Yes!_** Who knew Haley was a good seducer? Certainly not him, and he almost revealed his secret just to pounce her and do everything she said. But no one would ever let him live it down if he crumbled and gave in to her words. So instead he matched her smirk. "Are you sure you aren't talking about yourself?" he questioned playfully. "I'm going to be watching you, I hope you know that."

"I could say the same for you," she replied.

"What girl wouldn't be looking at me?"

And with that Haley was done. His big headedness was now too much. "Ugh, whatever," she huffed as she turned to go towards Hearthome. That earned a chuckle out of Paul and Umbreon (who had kind of been forgotten at this point but she didn't mind; it allowed her to enjoy the show). "You know, sometimes I wish someone else would deal with you."

Paul smiled and walked up to her side. "So you do want me to go back to Troublesome?" he remarked jokingly.

She had trouble finding a counter, unfinished words and weird noises escaping her, and so her response ended up being cry of frustration and a pout. "…I'm not jealous," she grumbled like a small child. Paul laughed, causing her to smile (though it was clear she tried to fight it). Then she leaned her head on his shoulder, and he looked at her curiously. "I'm not jealous at all."

The teen smiled as well. "Nope," he agreed. "Absolutely not."


	26. Bait and Switch

Haley felt groggy for some reason, and she didn't understand why. Okay, so the beds in the Pokémon Center weren't the most comfortable things in the world, but unless she had gone to bed late or the day before had been stressful, she usually woke up just fine. Now, though, the bed felt as hard as the ground. She moaned and opened her eyes… 

 _What?_ she thought.  _Why are there trees above my head? I'm pretty sure we stopped at a Pokémon Center last night._ The two were about three or four days away from Canalave City (which the entire trip from Hearthome City had taken about three weeks or so). A Pokémon Center had been on the side of the road, and they decided to stay there. Or…had they? Maybe she was remembering wrong. 

 _Though I swore… Eh, it doesn't matter. I guess since I'm awake I'll get ready._ She sat up and stretched, then rubbed her eyes as she looked at her feet. She stopped and gave off a curious look. Why was she wearing her shoes? Who the hell slept with their shoes on…

Hold on.

Those weren't her brown shoes…er, loafers.

And those weren't her white shin-high socks.

 _What the hell?_ Haley traveled farther up her legs.

That was  _so_ not her blue skirt.

She looked at her left hand.

There was no scar.

Now Haley was freaking out. What in the world was going on? She heard a creek running close by, so she scrambled to her (?) feet and dashed towards the water. Hesitantly, she peered into the blue liquid.

The now brown haired teen stifled a scream.

 _Why the hell am I in Karina's body?!_ she cried. It was even worse than she remembered; along with the white-and-blue high school-like uniform, Karina was now wearing a light blue headband and white ribbons on the side of her head. Her long hair was ruffled from sleeping, which definitely did not help the appearance. If Haley had an immediate opinion about Karina's appearance, it was that her skin was too pasty white. Sun was good! Vitamin D, and who didn't love a little bit of a tan? Haley ran her new fingers (another opinion: they were  _too_ perfect in Haley's opinion, not showing even one sign of Karina's attempts to capture her cousin) through her new hair to brush it out and then began to pace back and forth. 

 _Okay, okay, calm down, Haley. Just try and remember what you did yesterday. Maybe it'll have the answers._ She was now 100% percent sure she and Paul went to the Pokémon Center the night before, but what had they done before they got there?

After about a minute of pacing and thinking, Haley determined that the duo had done nothing but walk the day before. There was absolutely nothing that could have caused what seemed impossible. Well…maybe she was dreaming. Yes, that had to be it. There was no way this could happen in the real world. So she pinched her arm  _hard_. All that happened was an immense amount of pain shooting up her arm. 

 _Nope, this is unfortunately a living nightmare,_ Haley sighed. She slumped down and sighed.  _Great. Stuck in a high school uniform with my weird ass family and with no way of knowing how far I am from my body._ She sighed again.  _And I bet anything Karina's stuck in my body…_ "Karina's stuck in my body!" she exclaimed.

Oh this was bad! Really, really bad! Paul would have to suffer through Karina's fan girling and it would all look like her doing! She didn't know what was worse: her friend suffering or being falsely blamed. Haley felt like crying. How was she even supposed to fix this? "Sis, you're up?" a voice asked. Haley turned around to see Colin, his green shirt, brown shorts, and teal blue hair ruffled from sleeping on the forest floor.

His cousin in his sister's body nodded. "I couldn't sleep," she half lied. "I've been thinking."

Colin raised an eyebrow. "You…thinking," he repeated in an unbelieving tone.

"Oh like you think any more than I do!" Haley snapped, remembering who she was actually supposed to be. She looked back at the creek and heard as Colin sat down beside her.

"What have you been thinking about?" he asked after a little bit.

 _Well, just figuring out how to get out of this situation,_ Haley responded in her head. But what was she supposed to tell him? None of your business? Why do you care? How did Karina even act?

…Ah, to hell with it.

"Let's go find Haley," she answered.

Her brother rolled his eyes. "When do we not?" he replied.

"No, no, just the two of us," Haley clarified. "Maybe we can do a better job than all four of us. I mean, we make a pretty killer combinations." It was true. Haley couldn't deny how the siblings worked together really well. If they actually tried, Haley would have an extremely tough time beating them. The only thing that stopped that was usually the two arguing halfway through, their parents interrupting, or something else stupid happening.

The younger boy blinked. "You…you really mean that?"

"Absolutely," she stated, and then she stood up. "Come on. Let's go tell Mom and Dad what we're going to do." She ran back to where she had been sleeping, forcing Colin to scramble after her. "Mom, Dad!" she called to the two adults. It was definitely weird to call them that, especially since she never really called them Aunt or Uncle. They looked at the teenage girl. "Colin and I want to go find Haley on our own. Is that okay?"

Shannon thought about it and quickly agreed. "Have fun," she told the two and then went back to whatever she was doing.

 _…Well that was easier than I thought it would be,_ Haley thought. Her own mom would usually ask questions and see if it was actually worth letting her daughter do. _Whatever. My family is weird. I already knew this._ "Okay, see you later, then!" She took off, Colin following behind her.

"Do you even know where to begin looking?" Colin questioned.

"I believe she'll be heading for Canalave," Haley responded. "We saw her in Hearthome City last, and I bet she got the badge there. That would only mean she has to go get another badge, and she would probably go there next."

Colin blinked again. "You…you thought about all of  _that_?"

Haley huffed. "Yes, I did. I have ideas every once in a while." Then she glared at him. "Maybe you should try it some time." The boy puffed his cheeks in response.

They ran for a bit, and that gave Haley time to think of how she would find her body. If they found out how far away they were from Canalave, then they could follow the path either west or east depending on their own position. Though they couldn't go into any Pokémon Centers. The Lowells  _were_ criminals, after all, and if the two just waltzed in they would be caught in a heartbeat. Trainers walking by would have to be their information booths, and hopefully they had seen Paul and her body. It wouldn't be hard to remember Paul; either his hair would make an impression or his attitude would. They made their way onto the path, and after traveling down it for a while they found someone. He had red hair in a bowl cut. The teen was wearing a jean tank top-like vest with a brown t-shirt underneath, and he was wearing jeans, brown hiking boots, and a scowl on his face.

Haley bet 10,000 Poké that it had something to do with Paul.

Call it a hunch.

"Excuse me!" she called out to him.

He looked up at her and scowled even further. "I don't want to talk to anyone," he grumbled as he literally shoved past her. In response, Haley puffed out her cheeks and put her hands on her hips. So she didn't expect every guy to drop head over heels for her. It was never her intention. But at the very least he could have had manners…and maybe a change in mood. That was when she went back to her head over heals thought. What if she could… Then she eyed a discarded hair tie on the ground. She thought about it some more, and then she smirked.

Perfect.

She scooped the hair tie off the ground and pulled her hair up. "Excuse me," she said again, but this time she did so in a slightly sexy way.

Of course the guy didn't pick up on it right away, which worked to her advantage. Haley watched as he whipped around, practically fuming. " _Wha_ -" He stopped, his mouth completely ajar.

Because he found himself looking at "Karina" with half lidded eyes and a sexy smirk strutting towards him.

"Now what is a strong, handsome-looking guy like you doing with such an ugly expression?" she cooed. One of her arms snaked around his neck while her other hand went to his chest, where she took one finger and began to make small circles. She looked right into his maroon-colored eyes. "Hmm?"

The teen visibly gulped. "U-um…w-well…" Oh, how easy men were. You didn't even really need the body (although it was a nice bonus); just a few simple words in the right kind of tone, and you had them wrapped around your finger. Haley was a natural, and even with her cousin's high-pitched voice and (in her opinion) not all that attractive features, she could still pull off the stunt with ease. "O-okay, I'll tell you, j-just stop. Please."

Too easy. "Sure, big guy," she purred. Haley let go of him but didn't move an inch. She was still smirking as the male breathed out. "Well?"

"Ugh, well, this guy beat me in a battle earlier today," he revealed. "Really badly, too. That Magmar…I'll tell you, the two were out to win."

A Magmar, huh? "Did you catch his name?" Haley inquired.

"Nope, he never told me," the guy revealed. "I was the one who went up to him and introduced myself, so I guess he never found the need." He shook his head. "Anyway, if you're looking for him, he's a guy with short purple hair. Honestly can't miss him, especially with that attitude of his. Makes me wonder why that girl was traveling with him. She was really cheery, too, skipping all over the place. I honestly don't know who to feel sorry for. Too bad about how cheerful she was…she was kind of cute."

…

…

When the cousins finally switched bodies, Haley was so going to strangle Karina.

"Do you know which way they went?" Haley questioned.

The teen nodded and pointed west. "Probably off towards Canalave, seeing as how that's the only place of worth in that direction," he informed. "I'd say they have half a day ahead of you." He then looked at the brown haired girl. "Why are you looking for them?"

"That girl is our cousin," Colin piped up. "We're looking for her."

Their info guide nodded again. "You guys sure do have one weird cousin," he stated.

Haley was seriously ready to kill someone. That "weird cousin" wasn't even her! "To be honest, I've never heard of her skipping before," Colin replied. "Wonder what made her so happy."

 _Probably because she's next to Paul,_ Haley grumbled. "Well, thanks for the information," she said.

"No problem…uh…"

"Karina," Haley told him, "and this is Colin."

He mumbled her name a few times. "No problem, you two. The name's Felix, by the way." He began to walk back the way he came; he probably realized he forgot something. Then he stopped and turned his head. "And…Karina…" He cleared his throat. "You look…really nice today. Especially with your hair down."

The girl smiled, but on the inside she was a bit ticked. So first off, apparently some people didn't like her favorite hairstyle despite A) how much better you looked and B) how practical it was seeing as how hair was out of your face. Second, here she was making her cousin look good while the exact opposite was happening half a day away. "Thank you," she replied sweetly.

Felix nodded and then continued walking. Haley watched him go, but then tore her eyes away when she felt Colin staring at her. "How…how did you  _do_ that?" he asked. "You've  _never_ been able to do that."

Karina was so inept at everything except battling (…maybe) that it was unclear to Haley how she was even able to survive. "Got lucky, I guess," she suggested, which was  _so_ not the case. "Come on, we have major catching up to do." She spun on her heels and took off, forcing Colin to scramble after her once more.

 _Karina, I will fucking kill you,_ Haley snarled.

…

What Karina wouldn't do to keep this body! She'd probably  _kill_ someone if she had to!

…Well, maybe not  _this_ body, but the circumstances that came with it were definitely worth it.

She woke up feeling well rested for once. Admittedly she was a little confused as to why she was in an actual room, but it soon didn't matter when she scanned the room and realized… She gasped internally and then squealed.  _Oh. My. Gosh. It's HIM!_ How lucky was Karina right now? Her knight in shining armor was sleeping in the bed  _right next to hers_! And he looked so  _adorable_ while he slept! Not that he didn't already look super handsome, but extra points were always a plus. Then Karina stopped fan girling for a second and realized how impossible the situation was. Her family always slept outside because they weren't allowed to enter hotels, Pokémon Centers, and…well…any place with a bed, now that she really worked her brain (which did give her a very minor headache). Unless…somehow… She got herself out of the extremely comfortable (in her opinion) bed and walked over to the full-length mirror. When she saw the reflection staring back at her, she stifled a scream.

 _Why am I in Haley's disgusting body?!_ she shrieked almost out loud, but then she remembered McHottie was still sleeping. But seriously, she hated Haley's looks so much.

First off, her clothing. A loose tank top with no bra underneath and boy shorts with no shoes? Really? Why did Haley want to be, a  _guy_? Yeah, they were extremely cute (most of them, anyway), but to  _be_ one? No thanks. Her skin was too tan for her liking; fair, flawless white skin was  _always_ the way to go. Her black hair (which, she might add, the color was  _so_ overdone) was way too greasy, and how she kept it in that stupid ponytail all the time; guys liked it when your hair was down,  _hello_! Karina looked at her new hands and scrunched up her face.  _EEEEWWWW!_ she thought. They were probably the worst part! Traveling had done awful things to what Karina thought should be delicate features, especially this…this… _ugly_ scar that was slashed across her left palm. Seriously, did Haley have  _any_ respect for her body? Ugh, her cousin was  _so_ gross.

Still, Karina had to admit that it was kind of cool that Haley had a scar. She had never had one herself (because a lady never should), so it just came off as different (and gross…mostly gross). Curiously, she went to trace it.

The now black haired girl never felt so stupid.

A sharp pain coursed through her veins, almost as if her Mawile was ripping its teeth through them. Karina let out a cry of pain and crumbled to the floor. Meanwhile, behind her, she heard sheets rustle. "What's going on?" the purple haired teen asked in a sleepy kind of way. Karina turned her head to find that her knight was sitting up, rubbing one eye. He stopped, though, when he noticed her sitting on the ground. He sighed, his hand landing on the bed. "Haley, what are doing sitting on the floor?" he inquired.

Karina blinked her now hazel eyes, and then pouted and lifted up her left hand. She then sniffed as she revealed, "I touched my scar."

The male looked at her with the most confused look ever, and then he huffed. "Why would you ever do that when you know it hurts badly?"

"I…" Oh no, what would Haley say?! If Karina blew her cover, he'd never want to travel with her! But she didn't know how her cousin acted, because why would she  _ever_ want to act like her cousin?

…Apparently now.

"I was kind of hoping maybe it got better?" she offered.

…

…

"I honestly have nothing to say to that," the teen sighed as he got out of bed. Karina's eyes never left his gorgeous body as he walked up to her and extended his right hand. "Come on, get up off the floor, we have to get ready." Karina looked at the hand in wonder and tentatively took it. With his firm yet gentle grip he helped her up, and when Karina was standing up again she blinked and then blushed, getting him to raise an eyebrow. "Something wrong?" he asked. She blinked again and shook her head furiously. McHottie sighed once more. "Alright, enough stalling. We should get back on the road again so we can get to Canalave City as quickly as possible, so get dressed." And with that he let go of her travel-beaten hand and walked past her.

The now black haired girl blinked a fourth time. Get…ready? But, wasn't she already…  _No, I'm not ready!_ Was she really that stupid? Her cousin wore that red bandana and that white t-shirt and that black fingerless glove and that plaid (wasn't that out of style?) red-and-black skirt and the red sneakers. These were her  _nightclothes_. Ugh, her cousin was so spoiled.

A few minutes later, Karina finally found herself looking like her cousin…sort of. The bandana was a little crooked since she had never tied a bandana before, and she  _refused_ to put her hair up. Finishing tying her shoelaces (which she had never had to do before either), she stepped out of the bathroom, and her knight turned to her ready to say something, but then his mouth snapped closed. Karina tilted her head. "What?" she questioned.

At first he didn't reply. Then he pointed at her. "Your hair is down," he pointed out.

She waited a bit for the punch line. "And?"

"Well, it's just…different," McHottie stated.

"Is different good?" she replied hopefully.

Once again he didn't answer for a while. "There's nothing bad about it," he finally said. Then he slipped on his one shoulder bag. "Let's go."

Karina watched him walk out before grabbing the red backpack and jogging after him. As she watched him walk, she realized something definitely critical: she didn't know his name. In the two encounters she had with her cousin's super hot traveling partner, no one had mentioned his name. If she didn't know his name, that would definitely get awkward at some point. So when they reached the lobby, she waited for the purple haired teen to walk a little farther before she quickly went over to Nurse Joy. "So…um…what's his name?" she whispered and pointed at him.

To no surprise, Nurse Joy gave off a very confused look. "Aren't you his friend?" she questioned.

"Well…yes, but…i-it's just complicated. I just need to know his name."

The woman was even more confused but decided to not question further. "Paul," she revealed.

So not only was he hot and he had an amazing voice, but he had a cute name as well?! How perfect was this guy?! Karina smiled. "Thank you," she responded and quickly followed after him.

"Why were you lagging behind?" he inquired.

Karina smiled bigger. "Just needed to clarify something," she told him.

Paul raised an eyebrow but didn't press more on the matter. "Okay then, let's go."

And after that, the day was just so great. Being in the presence of her knight was just so amazing she couldn't find words to describe it. Whenever he talked she reveled in its deep melody. Whenever they happened to make eye contact she drowned into the blackness of his eyes. And how did she never notice how hot he was when he battled?! Well, something about them being on opposite sides might have something to do with it. But this time she was a spectator, and he was  _hot_!

…Oh, and he was good, too.

Seriously, that poor guy and his Tauros didn't stand a chance. Then, with a fainted Pokémon back in its ball, he stormed away with a scowl.

Karina thought it didn't fit the kind of cute guy at all.

"Wow, Paul, you were amazing!" Karina congradulated.

Paul shrugged. "He was kind of pathetic," he responded.  _Did he just shoot down my compliment?_ Karina thought.  _Well that's…kind of rude._ "By the way, you've been acting really cheery and fan girl-like all day. What got into you?"

 _Shoot! Think, Karina, think!_ "Today's just…been a good day," she replied with a smile. And another small headache.

"Considering you actually ate breakfast today, it must be," Paul agreed with a small smirk.

That was another thing Karina didn't know about her cousin but found so odd: she didn't eat breakfast, or at the most ate very little. Even Karina knew breakfast was the most important meal of the day! Was her cousin crazy?! She remembered when she had ordered a decently sized breakfast, and Paul's eyes suddenly grew to the size of dinner plates, not believing what he had just witnessed. His eyes proceeded to grow to planet-sized when she actually finished it, and with gusto. Meanwhile, he hadn't even touched his. "Paul," Karina had said with her mouth full with her last fork-full, almost squealing at using his name for the first time, "your food's going to get cold."

The purple haired boy had blinked, his eyes going back to normal size as he developed a barely visible blush. Though Karina saw it. As if she needed  _more_ reasons to find him amazing! Clearly, she did, because then had he scowled and started to eat his food, but thanks to the blush it had come off as adorable as he shoveled in the food and grumbled to himself.

Her cousin should be dating this guy!

Well, knowing Haley, she probably wasn't cause she was  _stupid_!

And now he was all for Karina. She would gladly take him for herself, thank you very much.

Snapping out of her little flashback, Karina smiled a little suddenly grabbed his arm, snuggling up against him. Paul jumped slightly at the sudden action but quickly relaxed and didn't pull away. "I can't wait to watch you battle at the Gym!" she exclaimed happily. At least that had been simple to piece together: they were Trainers heading to Canalave City, so that meant there had to be a Gym Battle waiting for them.

Paul chuckled slightly and his smirk grew back, a little bigger than before. "I'm flattered, but what about your own battle?" he pointed out.

"Of course I am!" Karina lied but tried to sound as excited as possible. Battle with one of her cousin's unruly Pokémon? No thanks. Besides, they would probably catch on that she wasn't Haley thanks to their weird Pokémon powers or whatever. "I just really enjoy watching you battle!" At least  _that_ wasn't a lie.

He smirked even wider. "I don't think I've heard that compliment from you before," he stated.

Karina beamed. "You're welcome," she giggled. That got Paul to smile big, and Karina snuggled into him more.

Body = absolutely no.

Circumstances = absolutely yes.

Overall…Karina was totally going to hang onto her new body as long as she possibly could.

She kind of hoped that meant forever.

…

Paul couldn't deny something was definitely…off? …Yeah, that sounded right. Something was definitely off about Haley.

Even if the snuggling did feel nice.

Though, seriously, why was she so cheerful? To be fair, there was nothing wrong with it or out of the ordinary, but this was just so extreme. The first day had been amusing. The second day it was weird.

He figured if it happened on the third day, he'd be really annoyed.

Still, the over cheeriness didn't stop him from getting a warm, fuzzy feeling about being snuggled by his friend or the fact that she  _actually ate breakfast_. Seriously, Paul didn't know what to jump for joy for more.

Probably the former, but the latter was a nice bonus.

Even then, those two still seemed too odd to be real. Paul was just waiting for that damn Mismagius to pop out of the bushes that lined the path and start laughing at him for falling for the joke again. At least it wouldn't be heartbreaking this time, but that didn't mean it wouldn't piss him off. "Oo, oo, oo, Paul! Paul!" Haley's cheerful voice rang in his ears and snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked at her, one arm still wrapped around his left one, but the other one was pointing at a clearing next to a sparkling blue creek. "Can we stop there for lunch? I'm  _sooo_ hungry, and the river looks  _sooo_ pretty!"

That was another thing: Paul found himself chuckling in a different way. Instead of doing so because she actually said something funny or at her misfortunes, he found himself chuckling like a parent would to their child.

Haley was childish, sure, but not  _this_ childish.

"Sure, why not," he answered, deciding not to correct her in saying it was creek and not a river. Haley gave off that big smile he swore was sown onto her face now and began to slightly skip towards the creek.

"Hmm, I wonder what we should have for lunch?" she thought aloud happily.

"Yeah, and I wonder how you're fucking going to make it."

Paul stopped in his tracks.  _Oh please let me be wrong._ He turned his head.

_Fuck!_

There Karina and Colin stood, with a smirk on the younger boy and a…scowl?

Hold on…something was definitely wrong.

Well, okay, sure, Paul was grateful that Karina wasn't squeezing the life out of him and squealing in his ear, but at the same time he couldn't help finding it strange. Those things defined Haley's insane cousin, not crossed arms and a scowl. It was as if she was a completely different person.

Just like Haley, now that he thought about it.

"Wh-what do you want?" the black haired asked, surprised. At least, that's how Paul interrupted the strange stuttering.

Karina rolled her eyes. "Oh we were just in the area and I'd thought I'd start up a lovely chat- oh, what the fuck do you think I'm here for?" Haley didn't answer, causing another eye roll. "Hey, dumbass, there's this lovely thing that sits in your head called a  _brain_. Use it."

"If anyone here isn't using a brain, it's you," Paul shot back. "How many times do I have to tell you and your pathetic family that you aren't going to have her, because it's not changing." Karina's head snapped towards him, and he found himself flinching under her cold glare.

Wait…

"Seriously?" the brown haired girl questioned. "You're so fucking dense. The only praise I can give you right now is pissing off six Trainers within these past two days - which I'm pretty sure is a new record, especially since four of them were girls - so that we could find you. Even then, I don't know if I should praising you that much, seeing as how the last one we came across was  _crying_. I thought we moved passed that, plum head."

Paul could do nothing but stare as he was frozen in place. "Hold on…you can't mean-"

"H-hey, you can't insult Paul like that!" Haley defended, cutting him off.

The next thing knew, Karina lunged and sent both female cousins plunging into the creek.

Haley emerged with a loud gasp, with Karina following less dramatically. "You freak, you ruined my clothes!" Haley complained.

"Oh please, they needed a wash," Karina countered.

"At least mine aren't ugly!" the hazel-eyed girl shouted.

"What poor girl walking home did you mug them off of?" her green-eyed cousin insulted.

"Yours are so out of style it should be a crime!"

"What about you  _isn't_ a crime? Let's start with your high pitched voice that sounds like a Growlithe is constantly playing with a chew toy!"

"Have you ever actually listened to how close you sound like a guy? It makes me question if you're even a girl, considering the state of your ugly, beaten up body!"

"Okay, first, at least mine isn't a porcelain doll. Second, did you just _question_ my _sexuality_?! Ugh, you're such a stuck up, inept bitch!"

"And you're such a dirty mouthed, ugly, rude, uncaring jerk!"

" _Uncaring_? Assuming I'm 'uncaring', I bet your brother  _wishes_ I was his sister, considering that you are  _the_ definition of self centered!"

"Well at least I don't go around insulting my friends! …Totally taking him, by the way."

"I should skin you alive!"

"I should just drown you!"

"WILL YOU TWO STOP FIGHTING FOR FIVE SECONDS?!" Paul and Colin both bellowed. Yeah, imagine that, they  _agreed_ on something. The two cousins closed their open mouths (most likely to continue with the insults) and turned their heads.

Paul sighed in relief and annoyance and then rubbed his temple. "Okay, I would advise getting new shirts, but seeing as  _someone_ was too quick on the draw, you're both out of luck in that department," he stated.

Karina blinked, and then turned to Haley. When she realized the black haired girl still had her red backpack on, she whined. "As if today couldn't get any worse!" she cried.

"Yeah, yeah, cry me a river," Paul huffed. He walked to the water's edge and stuck out both hands. "Now come on."

"Hold on, why are you helping her?" Haley asked.

Paul eyed her. "The real question is why I'm helping you, Karina," he replied.

Haley's body lost color in her face. Meanwhile, her cousin rolled her eyes. "Ugh, finally he gets it," she muttered as she reached for his hand.

"I really shouldn't be helping you out of the water, Haley," he said as he grasped her hand. Then he looked at the girls and, for the first time in three days, actually chuckled. "You know, this is going to get really confusing."

The real Haley gave a slightly confused look before smiling. "Tell me about it," she agreed. Paul hoisted her out and then (reluctantly) went to do the same for Karina.

"Wait, so, I'm confused," Colin's voice piped up.

The purple haired Trainer sighed.  _Why am I even surprised?_ "Your sister is in Haley's body and vise versa," he revealed.

There were a few seconds of silence. "My cousin has been in Sis's body this entire time?!" he exclaimed.

"You seriously had to deal with that?" Paul whispered to Haley.

"Not as bad as you might think," she responded.

So after Haley took control of her belt and got Infernape (who at first was really confused until his Pokémon senses helped him out) to start a fire so that her backpack and its contents could dry, they sat around it, with the girls understandably hiding their chests. "So, how did this even happen?" Paul questioned.

"You're asking the wrong person," Haley answered, who was sitting beside him. "I woke up yesterday and I was in Karina's body."

"Same," Karina agreed. She and her brother were sitting across from the friends. Colin looked a little uncomfortable; even though he was technically sitting next to his sister, the fact that all he could see was Haley's body obviously didn't feel right. Paul could definitely agree to the feeling.

Haley rolled her green eyes. "Well, unlike you, I've been thinking of what could have caused this and how we could fix it," she stated.

"You don't know that!" Karina snapped.

"Actually, I do."

"And how's that?"

"Because whether you realize it or not, I know you," Haley told her. "Even if I didn't, it wouldn't have been that hard to piece together, seeing as how Colin questioned that I was thinking yesterday morning."

Colin nodded twice, making Karina pout. "Yeah…well…still…"

"Anyway, since I know we'd be getting no input from you," Haley continued. Then she looked at her younger cousin. "Colin." Said boy seemed to perk up as he turned to look at her. "I need you to remember if any of you found anything of interest in the past few days." Paul eyed her curiously. Was she seriously thinking Colin would be able to work his brain that much? But he watched, amazed, as Colin tilted his head and closed his eyes. After a good minute, Colin opened his purple eyes with an apologetic look in them.

"I'm sorry, Haley," he said, "but I can't think of anything out of the ordinary."

"You can do it, Colin," Haley encouraged. "It's just like what we talked about. Take a deep breath and focus." Her cousin nodded and took that breath before closing his eyes once more. Paul watched as the twelve-year-old boy focused on thinking how the two girls switched bodies. But in the end, he opened his eyes with the same exact look. "Well, thanks for trying," Haley told him softly and in a meaningful way.  _Guess this is what she meant by it not being so bad,_ Paul thought.  _She made him think for himself. That's pretty clever._ "Paul, do you remember seeing anything?"

He knew she would ask that. Unfortunately, he also knew his answer. "No," he admitted. "Nothing comes to mind."

Suddenly Karina clapped her hands. "Well, that's that," she decided. "Too bad. Looks like we can't switch bodies."

Haley glared. Paul seriously didn't understand how she made the disgustingly innocent high school girl-looking criminal look like…well, a criminal. "Yeah, fuck that," she responded. "What good does it do to any of us to keep things this way?"

"I can think of plenty," Karina pointed out happily.

Paul would have scrunched his face up in disgust (now finally realizing who had actually been snuggling him the entire time…did he ever mention how much he wanted to ram himself into a wall for being so stupid?), but he had more pressing issues when Haley clearly about to lunge again - which, if she did, she would be leaping over fire and knocking all of her things into it. "Haley, just take a breath," he advised as he grabbed her waist. His friend scowled down at him but then calmed down slightly and plopped down with a pout and crossed arms. With that taken care of he looked to Karina and stared at her. "We can't keep things the way they are now," he told her, "especially since the only one who gets any sort of benefit is you."

Karina opened her mouth, but Colin cut her off with, "Yeah, I kind of agree. As much as I didn't mind traveling with Haley, I think things would be better if they went back to the way they were."

His sister opened her mouth again, and then slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Fine," she grumbled. "But if Colin couldn't think of anything and Paul couldn't think of anything, then what are we going to do?"

Unfortunately, she brought up a good point, and the whole clearing went silent except for the crackle of the fire. Suddenly Colin sprang to his feet. "Hold on, guys!" he exclaimed. "We're thinking about this all wrong!"

"We are?" the teens asked.

"We keep thinking whatever switched their bodies was a  _thing_ , but what if was a person?"

…

…

He had a point.

But who would have seemed weird or out of the ordinary…

"I've got it!" Paul realized. "I do remember seeing this one girl that caught my eye two days ago."

"Girl?" Karina questioned with irritation.

"Oh, shut up!" Haley snapped. "So what caught your attention about her?"

Paul knew something had stuck out about her, but what was it? It wasn't anything about her appearance, that was for sure. Then what… "In her arms," Paul remembered, "she was holding something small and light blue. And it had something that looked like an antenna sticking out of where its head should be."

Colin slammed his fist onto his palm. "I remembering seeing a weird girl, too!" he added. "The thing in her arms was light blue just like you said, but what I saw was this weird red gem-like thing on its chest."

"So a light blue creature with an antenna and a red gem on its chest," Haley repeated. "Do you guys remember what the girl looked like?"

The boys thought some more. And slowly Paul realized the girl had been just as eye catching as the thing in her arms. "She had milk chocolate skin…well, it was just a tad darker, but still."

"And her hair was baby blue," Colin reported. "It was up in two pigtails but she also had a lot more hair than just that. Oo, and she was wearing a beige colored tank top and uh…uh…"

"Black jean shorts," Paul reminded.

"Yeah! And…brown hiking boots?" Paul nodded.

Haley looked like she was trying to visualize the mysterious girl. "Okay, one more question," she stated. "Which way was she going?"

Once more the boys went into thought. This time, when they went to respond, it wasn't good news. "She's heading towards Jubilife City!" they exclaimed. Their only shot, and she was heading to one of the busiest cities in the region. Not to mention that was in the complete opposite direction.

"Shit!" Haley hissed. She snatched a Poké Ball out of her belt and released the Pokémon from inside. Staraptor appeared in the sky and stretched out her wings before flapping in place. "Staraptor, I need you to find someone!" her Trainer ordered.

The Predator Pokémon tilted her head. "Star…raptor?" she questioned.

"It's me!" Haley yelled. Luckily, her Flying type realized the swap much quicker than Infernape. She nodded, and Haley sighed. "Okay, now as I was saying…" She then proceeded to tell her Pokémon the information she had received. "Start flying towards Jubilife and see if you can find her," Haley finished. "We'll start traveling in that direction as well."

"Star," she responded and took off as Haley began to gather her things (most of them had completely dried by this point).

"So, can you still understand Pokémon while in Karina's body?" Colin randomly asked.

Haley stopped to look at her cousin. "Nope," she answered. "But it doesn't really matter at this moment, does it?"

Colin blinked, then looked at his feet, which he shuffled in embarrassment. "No," he admitted sheepishly.

The brown haired teen nodded and went back to her work. "So does that mean  _I'm_ the one who can understand Pokémon?" Karina piped up.

"I don't know, did you hear  _words_?" Haley stated, irritated.

Now it was Karina's turn to blink, but instead she pouted. "No, I didn't, but you don't have to be so rude," she grumbled.

Haley sighed again and finished putting everything into her bag. "Okay, let's get moving," she suggested. Colin and Paul nodded, with the latter putting the fire out. Karina, however, sitting sat on the ground with her arms crossed. So with a third sigh escaping her, Haley strode over and snatched her right wrist. She forced her up and proceeded to drag her. "That means you as well, mush-for-brains," she insulted.

"What if I don't wanna?" Karina whined as she tried to release herself from her cousin's strong grip.

"Too fucking bad," Haley replied with no trace of sympathy. Paul sighed. If this was how the whole journey was going to play out, he wasn't sure how long his patience would last.

Fortunately, the trip didn't present too many problems…sort of. Karina tended to complain that Haley was walking too fast and that her feet hurt. Her words fell on deaf ears…mostly. Sometimes Haley or Colin would snap at her to shut up. Paul tried to keep his frustration bottled up, since it would only become even more annoying if three people were complaining about one person's complaining. But when it was getting close to sundown, Paul couldn't contain it anymore. As Karina opened her mouth once more, the purple haired Trainer snapped. "Damn it, Karina, no one fucking cares!" he yelled.

Her head whipped around, looking slightly shocked. "But…Paul," she began quietly, "I'm hungry. We didn't eat any lunch, so I was hoping we could stop to eat."

"Are you crazy?!" Haley snapped. "We can't stop now! We have to-" A low growl rang through the air, and instantly Paul knew whose stomach it was.

"Colin, did Haley have any breakfast this morning?" he inquired. The young boy shook his head.

"And you still want to keep going?!" Karina cried. This time, _she_ snatched _Haley's_ wrist and proceeded to drag  _her_  to a nearby clearing. "I am  _not_ letting you destroy my body with your weird eating habits!"

Paul chuckled. "If there is one good thing that has come out of this," he stated, "it's that I finally get to see Haley eat breakfast." Karina beamed, but Haley scowled.

The brown haired girl prepared dinner, and while everyone ate it was completely silent. Paul figured it was probably because Karina no longer had anything to complain about. Though the look on Haley's face made it clear she did. She just chose not to vocalize it. That was something he realized: Haley liked to keep busy - especially when she was on a mission - while Karina was more relaxed. It was even apparent in their sleeping positions: Haley was tense, clearly ready to get all of this over with; Karina was loose, not caring what ended up happening. The purple haired Trainer was about to fall asleep himself - somewhere in between their two positions - when he heard shuffling. He opened his eyes to find Haley walking off. He sighed internally, waited a minute or two, and then got up to follow her. Paul quietly walked to find his now brown haired friend sitting and staring at the creek.

"What happened to sleep?" he questioned. Haley's head turned to meet his eyes in surprise before turning back, hugging her knees. It was clear she was down, but Paul couldn't figure out why. So he walked over and sat down next to her. They listened to the water run over the rocks for a while before Paul looked at her. "What's wrong?"

Haley sighed but didn't speak for a little bit. "It's just…do you think I'm ugly?"

Paul blinked. "What would make you even think that?" he asked in disbelief.

"Look at this." She turned and opened her palms for Paul to study. "They're clean," Haley stated when he didn't respond.

"And that should matter?"

"She's been to just as many places as I have!" Haley reasoned. "But look at this! There are no cuts, blisters, and certainly no scars." She suddenly snatched Paul's hand and brought it to her left one. "Squeeze it," she ordered. He obeyed, but not once did Haley flinch. "See? Absolutely perfect! And Karina's right when she says I can sound like a guy! I'm foul mouthed, I rush into danger, I'm too head strong, I can't stop moving when I really want to get moving, I-" Paul placed a finger on her nose, cutting her off.

"Better," he said with smirk, to which she responded with puffed out cheeks and a glare. Paul only chuckled. "That's just you," he reasoned, tapping her nose to emphasize. "So what? Yes, maybe some things need to be worked on, but you shouldn't change everything to be someone you're not." His smirk became a smile. "Take it from someone who knows." Now he had whatever part of her attention wasn't already on him. "I think you're perfect."

Haley stared at him. "Really?" she asked.

Her friend felt his face heat up immensely, but it had to be said. "Absolutely," he told her.

The brown haired girl put on this really adorable, small, shy frown as she began to fiddle with the ends of her new hair. "What…what about my hair?" she inquired quietly. "Do you think I look better with it down?"

Paul couldn't help chuckling. He couldn't believe his practically tomboy friend was asking about girly things like hair. "It's a little weird seeing Karina with a ponytail," he admitted, "but it's practically a staple for you. I like it."

Now the adorable, small, shy frown became an adorable, small, shy smile. "What about when it's down?" she questioned.

"Haley," he chuckled, "you look perfect, flaws and all."

Thanks to the moonlight, he could see a faint blush form on her face. And then she giggled. "Look at me," she sighed, still slightly giggling. "I'm getting all worked up about appearances and my own personality."

"What have I been telling you?" Paul laughed quietly. "Come on, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Guess we do," Haley agreed. She looked like she was about to get up, but then she thought better of it and looked at Paul. "Oh, Paul," she began. Then she smiled. "Thanks."

Then she kissed his cheek and went back to the campsite.

Guess what Paul decided to do.

 _Yes, yes, yes, YES!_ he celebrated, the biggest lopsided grin plastered on his face. He flopped on his back and stared at the night sky in bliss. Then he sighed in a dream-like way and smiled like a love-struck fool. Well…in a way he already was, but that was beside the point. He just received a kiss from his crush!

…Even though it was on the cheek.

…And she wasn't in her own body.

Whatever, he would happily take what he could get.

In fact, he was so happy he ended up sleeping by the creek, too content to move. And when he woke up the next morning, he still had a smile on his face. It quickly disappeared, though, when he saw Karina leaning over him. He freaked out, only for Karina to smack him upside the head. "It's me, dumbass," the green-eyed girl stated.

Oh, right. Their bodies were still swapped. "Sorry, kind of forgot," Paul admitted. He stood up and straightened out his clothing. "So, breakfast?"

"Don't worry, we made sure she had some," Colin reported, he and his sister walking up to the friends.

Haley pouted. "They're even worse than you when it comes to force feeding," she grumbled.

Paul chuckled. "Then maybe you should stop being so stubborn when it comes to food," he pointed out. She glared, but he just chuckled it off. "Come on, we should get going." He took a few stepped before there was suddenly a sandwich in his face. He turned to find Karina at the end looking sheepish.

"Haley helped me make it," she told him. "It's…an apology…for the past two days." He was surprised, even thinking that maybe Haley set her cousin up to this. But whether his friend had done so or not, for whatever reason he decided to take the sandwich. He was hungry, after all, and if she was offering him food, why not?

"Thanks, I guess," he replied and resumed walking. "Let's go, we're losing daylight." The relatives were not far behind.

The group of four once again headed on their journey towards Jubilife. But this time Paul noticed that things seemed much different than before; namely, Karina wasn't complaining.  _At all_. In fact, there were plenty of times where  _she_ made the pace, and usually they were pretty quick ones as well. She didn't even want to stop for lunch - much to Haley's surprise yet happiness - but Colin shot both of them down immediately. Paul, meanwhile, was just watching the show silently once more, not feeling the need to really speak up this time.

Even lunch was pretty quick, and soon the travels started up again, maybe even more energized than before. He had to wonder why Karina was so eager. Did something happen the night before to make her want to change back, or was she rushing to tell the girl it was better for things to stay as they were at the moment? Paul realized it didn't really matter; all that did matter was that they were moving fast. He estimated they went on for an hour before finally, in the distance, he noticed a gray-and-black dot. It was getting closer…and more familiar. He tapped Haley's shoulder, and she stopped to look at him, with the other two following her lead. Paul pointed at the blob, and she looked. Then the brown haired girl beamed. "Staraptor!" she called, waving her arms.

Her Pokémon quickly came into view, and the group realized that a person was riding on her back. Paul instantly recognized her as the girl he had spotted, and the thing in her arms had a few of the details he and Colin had described. He watched as the girl jumped off Staraptor - who was still about ten feet in the air - and landed right in front of them, allowing Paul to finally get a full view of her. She had the mess of hair Colin described and was that darker shade of milk chocolate, but he now noticed that her left eye was green while her right was red and slightly covered by her explosion of hair. She also wore two necklaces: one was short with three claws handing off of it and the other was long with a sea blue crystal on it. He also noticed the dark blue teardrop tattoo under her left eye and the dark blue tattoos on her wrists made to look like bracelets. The girl flashed a goofy smile. "Hello," she greeted with a thick accent.  **(A/N: Something along the lines of an African accent; chose which one you want, I don't care)**

"Um, hi," Haley responded as Staraptor touched down next to her. "We, uh, were hoping you would be able to help us out with something."

"To the best of my ability," the girl promised.

Haley nodded. "Well, my name is Haley, but I'm actually stuck in my cousin's body," she stated.

"That's me!" Karina pointed out. "My name's Karina, but this is her body."

The girl seemed to understand, and then she looked at the thing (which Paul was pretty sure was a Pokémon) with a sort of motherly stare. "Manaphy, did you use your Heart Swap ability again?" she questioned. The tiny blue Pokémon cried in happiness, making the girl sigh. "I apologize," she told the group. "Allow me to introduce us. My name is Kida, one of the descendants of the People of the Water - those who are to watch over this little fellow is Manaphy, the Prince of the Sea." Once again, Manaphy cried out in happiness. Curious, Paul dug into his bag and pulled out his dark blue Pokédex.

"Manaphy, the Seafaring Pokémon," the robotic voice explained. "It starts its life with a wondrous power that permits it to bond with any kind of Pokémon and can switch the perspective of people and Pokémon with each other using Heart Swap. Born on a cold seafloor, it will swim great distances to return to its birthplace."

"Guys, I think we found the cause," Colin reported.

Kida smiled. "I apologize again," she said. "The effects of Heart Swap used to only last for a few moments, but recently Manaphy has been able to make it last longer, and as such it has been using it on people and Pokémon whenever it can." Manaphy beamed.

"I see," Haley replied. "Well, can it change us back?"

The protector looked at the small Pokémon. "Manaphy, if you-"

"Hold on." Everyone turned to Karina to watch as she turned to Haley. "Cousin, you and I will battle, right here and now," she declared. She then reached for her belt around her body's waist and grabbed a Poké Ball. "You and Staraptor will battle my prized Pokémon. If you win, we do what you want. If I win, we do what I want."

Haley looked to her friend to see if the wager was okay. To be honest, Paul would rather not be main prize again, but at least they weren't lied to this time. And besides, Staraptor could beat Mawile with her eyes blindfolded. So he nodded in agreement. "Alright, Karina, if that's what you want," Haley informed. Then she looked to the other girl. "Kida, if you wouldn't mind waiting a bit, that would be nice."

"Don't worry," Kida assured. "I don't get to see battles all that often. I believe this will be exciting." Manaphy agreed completely.

Soon the cousins were standing opposite of each other, with the other three on the sidelines. "Staraptor, you're up," Haley told her Flying type. The Pokémon nodded and flew onto the battlefield.

Karina enlarged her Poké Ball, and Paul was surprised to see how serious she looked. In fact, she almost looked like Haley. Well… _almost_. "Nerves of steel, Scizor!" she shouted as she threw the red-and-white ball.

Everyone (yes, even Colin…but minus Kida) was taken aback when they saw the Pincer Pokémon take the field. "Wait, you have a Scizor?!" Haley cried. "But why…how-"

"Scizor is only used for special occasions," Karina clarified. "But if you think that means he's off his game, you're wrong. There's a reason he's my  _prized_ Pokémon."

"Sci-Scizor!" the Bug-Steel type agreed, clearly ready for the challenge and strangely not at all confused at the body switch.

Haley calmed down and smirked. "To be honest, I'm actually kind of excited," she admitted. "I already know all of Mawile's attacks, so battling her would be no fun." Her smirk grew wider. "Oh don't worry though, we're still going to win."

"We'll see about that!" Karina countered. "Scizor, start this off with Iron Defense!" Scizor crossed his arms and quickly glowed a metallic color.

"…Shit," Paul heard Haley mumble. No kidding. All of Staraptor's attacks were physical based, and now Scizor's defense just went up two stages. Still, Haley wasn't one to back down. She was too stubborn to do so. "Close Combat!" she ordered. Staraptor flew as fast as she could towards her opponent.

"Dodge each strike while using Swords Dance!" Paul now understood what Karina had meant when they last saw her in Hearthome City as he watched Scizor dodged the attacks while his pincers began to glow purple.  _She may be a ditzy, clingy girl,_ Paul thought,  _but she knows how to battle just as much as Haley._ "Now use Metal Claw!"

"Aerial Ace to his abdomen!" Haley shouted. The Predator Pokémon quickly dodged the metallic-colored claw and flew straight into Scizor. Thanks to his raised defense, he didn't look too terribly fazed.

Neither did his Trainer.

"Metal Claw again!" she commanded. Scizor once again made one of his claws go metal and charged.

"Counter with Steel Wing!" Staraptor made one of her own limbs metallic and went to clash with Scizor's claw. But instead of an even match, Staraptor ended up zooming back and collapsed on the ground. "What? But Swords Dance couldn't raise his attack to do that!" Haley denied. Paul did, too, until he thought of something.

"Technician," he stated. The girls looked at him. "That's Scizor's ability, isn't it?"

Karina smiled and giggled slightly to his realization. "That's right," she confirmed. "Weak moves get powered up almost double." She winked. "Told you I was tactical."

He slightly chuckled. "Haley, I would suggest you start taking your cousin seriously," he said.

"Very seriously?" Haley asked.

" _Very_ seriously."

"And no guilty conscience after it's all over!" Haley proclaimed. "Sweet! Staraptor, you ready to get serious?" Her Pokémon slightly turned her head and gave off a smirking grin. "Perfect. So let's start off with Aerial Combat!" The Flying type entered her white cone and charged faster than she had before. And when she reached a surprised Scizor, she proceeded to strike with her wings and beak before shoving him back with a kick of her talons.

"Fury Cutter!" Karina ordered, obviously taking advantage of her Pokémon's ability and the double attack.

"Ascend!" Staraptor flew straight up before Scizor could connect. "Now come back down with Secret Power!" The Flying type zoomed back down in an aura of pink. Once again, her determination boosted her speed and knocked Scizor back, but this time with a little dust in his eyes. "By the way," Haley began with a smirk, "since we're on dirt terrain, Secret Power can lower your accuracy."

"Then we'll just use a move that's a bit more accurate!" Karina countered. "Double Metal Claw!"

"Close Combat once more!" The two Pokémon charged at each other and traded blows. Some of the attacks missed, and others hit their mark completely. But with a talon kick to the abdomen and a claw to the stomach, both Pokémon were sent flying back relatively close to their Trainers. "Staraptor, are you all right?" Haley questioned. Her Pokémon stood - though she was breathing heavily - and nodded.

"Scizor, think you can take a bit more?" Karina inquired. The Bug-Steel type, also panting heavily, got into a fighting stance.

Paul predicted there would be one more attack out of each of them.

"Staraptor, use Sky Attack!" Haley commanded. The Pokémon stretched her wings and took off to the skies, glowing white all the while.

"Scizor, prepare yourself with Swords Dance and then use Metal Claw," Karina instructed. His red claws glowed purple once more, signifying they were powered up, and jumped with metallic claws. By then, Sky Attack was ready, and Staraptor went to meet him in the middle. The attacks clashed once more, and then there was an explosion of power. Soon the two Pokémon fell out of the cloud and crashed onto the ground.

Both of them had fainted.

But strangely, neither of the girls seemed negative about the fact. They just simply walked up to their Pokémon and muttered praise before returning them to their Poké Balls. Then the cousins approached each other and stared before Haley sighed. "Alright, Karina, what is it you want to do?" she asked.

Karina smiled. "It sounds as if you already know," she accused.

"More of I have a hunch," Haley replied.

Her black haired cousin smiled a tad bigger and then turned to Kida. "Manaphy, I want you to change us back," she told the small Pokémon.

Paul was surprised. "Sis?" Colin questioned.

His sister responded to Haley instead. "I'll admit it would be nice to keep all the circumstances," she began, "but I don't think that's an entirely good things for all of us. Besides, I just can't get use to your body." Paul was ready to roll his eyes, knowing she would probably say something along the lines of Haley being ugly. "…It's just different." Okay, seriously, was today a dream or something?

Haley smiled. "Yeah, different," she agreed. "Still, it wouldn't kill you to get a little bit of sun."

"Wouldn't kill you to eat a bit more in the morning," Karina shot back. But this time it seemed a little good naturally. Haley smiled to it.

"Well, if you two are ready…" Kida looked at the small Water type. "Manaphy, Heart Swap, please." Manaphy nodded happily, and then its antenna spilt into two. Each end glowed pink and produced pink energy balls. They floated over to the girls, hit where their hearts would be, and the girls opened their mouths as if they were gasping. Then both made a short hop and were shaking their heads. The cousins studied their bodies and then beamed.

"Ah, finally," Haley breathed from her own body as she put her hair in a ponytail once more and fixed her bandana.

"Perfection is once again in perfect harmony," Karina stated as she took her hair down and shook it out. Colin sighed.

Paul took a few seconds to let the switch sink in before turning to his black haired friend. "So, are we ready to go?" he questioned.

"I don't know," she admitted. Then she turned to the troublemaker. "Manaphy?" The small Pokémon cried out, and judging from Haley's beaming, she had her powers back. "Yep, all set!" she reported. "Thanks, Kida."

"No problem, since I am kind of to blame," the girl replied. "Manaphy was taken by some poachers while under my watch, and after I rescued it, it has been so excited to go back to the sea that it just couldn't help it." Manaphy agreed. "Well then, until we meet again." With the two waving, Kida ran towards Jubilife.

The group waved back. "Haley." Said girl turned to her female cousin. "Next time," Karina promised with a smirk, "we won't fail in our mission."

Haley smirked as well. "I expect the two of to make my life somewhat difficult, understand?" she instructed.

"No promises," Colin answered, to which Karina rolled her eyes. Then they took off to wherever their parents had set up camp.

Paul couldn't help but wish them luck in his head.

"Well, shall we make up for lost time?" Haley inquired.

He nodded. "That's a good idea," he agreed.

They started walking along the path, moving quickly in hopes of making to Canalave City in a few days. "By the way," Haley suddenly piped up. She smiled. "You looked really peaceful this morning when you were sleeping." She giggled at his wide-eyed expression. "Dare I say you were kind of cute."

She only had herself to thank for that…or was it blame? Paul scowled in embarrassment and began walking even faster, almost at a jog. "Yeah, whatever," he mumbled.

Though, he couldn't deny that he thoroughly enjoyed that spilt second kiss.

…

"Hey Mom, we're back," Karina announced.

Colin watched as his mother turned to face them. "Did you find her?" she asked.

The girl shook her head. "Sorry. We thought we saw her, but it turned out to be someone else."

Shannon nodded and went back to whatever she was doing. Meanwhile, Colin looked up at his sister.

And he couldn't help but smile.

XXX

_"Colin?"_

_He flipped over and looked at his black haired sister, who was staring up at the night sky. "Ugh, what? I'm trying to sleep if you didn't notice."_

_"Do you…do you think I'm stupid?"_

_How was he supposed to respond to that? "You can be," he admitted. "But you have good ideas from time to time. Why? This hasn't mattered before."_

_"It's just…" She hid her eyes. "Haley was just demonstrating how much she thinks. She pretty much had every detail down about this, even how to find Paul and I."_

_"So Haley likes to think, so what?" Colin stated. "Next thing you're going to tell me is that she's more adventurous than you."_

_Karina studied her hands and arms. "Judging from her body, I'd agree," she agreed._

_"Oh my God," Colin muttered. "You guys are different, okay? Like I said, so what? Yes, when she said she would make a better sister, I couldn't help but agree on some points. But you're the one who's my sister." He smiled. "And I wouldn't change that ever."_

_She looked at him in surprise. "Really?" she whispered._

_"Yeah," he confirmed softly. "Maybe there are a few points that need work, but I think you should stay who you are."_

_His sister blinked. And then she smiled. "Thanks," she told him. Then she looked back up at the sky. "You know, I think I know what I want to do when we find the thing that switched our bodies."_

_"What is that?" Colin inquired._

_Karina just smiled bigger. "You'll see."_

XXX

"Hey Sis," he said later that night.

"Hmm?"

"Can…can you teach me how to battle like you did today?"

Karina smiled and rubbed his hair. "Of course, my little brother," she agreed. "Even if you are an annoying ass."

Colin looked at his sister in wonder, trying to figure out if she really just did say that.

And then he found himself laughing.

* * *

 

**A/N: This chapter was inspired by TheMysteriousMrEnter's video about body swap episodes. Thank you for the pointers and hopefully I did a decent job.**


	27. Steel Some Nerve

Nurse Joy blinked in confusion, staring at the two exhausted Trainers slumping on the counter. "Um...are you two all right?" she asked.

The arrivals looked up at her. "Which way is north?" Paul inquired.

"Left is was makes the backwards L, right?" Haley questioned.

The pink haired woman sighed. "We should really fix that one island," she muttered.

Paul and Haley had just arrived in Canalave City, which they learned was a chain of islands. One of the islands they had to walk through to get to the island with the Pokémon Center and the Gym had all sorts of alleyways and streets that led to absolutely nowhere, leaving the friends to spend almost all day trying to figure out how to leave that section of the city. Of course, this was a problem present for almost all Trainers that arrived in the port city and even some of the locals.

How the officials didn't realize the pressing issue was something Nurse Joy would never understand.

"So, a room for two, right?"

"Yes please," the Trainers confirmed tiredly.

"Do your Pokémon need to be looked after?"

"No thank you," they answered. Nurse Joy sighed once more.

The next day, the two woke up feeling well rested. With some directions from Nurse Joy the two made it there with relative ease. They found themselves in front of a building made of mismatched steel plates with a rocky base. "Steel type Gym?" Haley inquired.

"Yes," Paul replied as he walked up to the door. "Now come on, you're first."

"Contrary to what Karina said," Haley stated, rolling her eyes. She followed up right behind him, and the automatic doors opened to reveal "Roark?"

The Rock type Gym was surprised but then smiled. "It's been awhile," he remarked.

"Definitely," Haley agreed. "But...what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Oreburgh?"

"Well, I decided to visit my dad," Roark explained. "And then Ash had a battle, so I stayed to watch."

Paul's ears involuntarily perked at his rival's name. "Oh, Ash had a battle?" Haley repeated. "Did he win?"

Roark nodded. "It was quite the battle," he revealed.

** (A/N: Enter Dan Green in 3...2...1...) **

"AND I LOVED IT!" someone bellowed excitedly. The shout made the two challengers jump. Roark just laughed as a man with shaggy purple hair appeared next to the young man. He also had a purple beard and black eyes.

...Paul swore if this was another unknown relative, he was going to lose his God damn mind.

"So, you two are challengers, huh?" the Gym Leader asked with a grin as he slugged his shovel over his shoulder.

Haley nodded, a little shaken up. "Y-yeah," she answered. "My name's Haley, and this is Paul." Her friend dipped his head as a greeting.

"AWESOME!" the man shouted in excitement, causing another jump. "I LOVE FOSSILS, I LOVE DIGGING, AND I LOVE BATTLES!" He calmed down a little to introduce himself. "My name is Byron, and I'm the Gym Leader of Canalave City. And I'm pretty sure you two have battled my son here, so no need for introduction there."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Haley looked at Roark and pointed to the taller man. " _He's_ your father?! He doesn't look like you! ...Or act, now that I think about it." Paul agreed to that.

Roark smiled. "Yeah, we get that a lot," he admitted. "Though, uh, never get us started on fossils. We won't stop."

"My Bastiodon is still better!" Byron boasted.

"Nah uh!" Roark exclaimed like a little kid. "Rampardos can beat Bastiodon any day!" It was clear a fight was about to ensue.

And from the clear sparks, if it were to come to fruition, neither Paul nor Haley would be having a Gym Battle any time soon.

"Excuse me!" Haley raised her voice to grab their attention. Father and son looked at her. "Can...we save the argument over whose Pokémon is better until _after_ Paul and I are done here?"

With that the tension melted. "Sorry," Byron stated with a smile. "Of course. So, which of you is going first?"

"She is," Paul responded.

"Ladies first, huh?" Byron grinned. "That's a nice thing to do for your girlfriend."

Red streaked both of their faces, and Haley shook her head fiercely. "We're not dating!" she claimed. "See, we're just-"

But Paul didn't listen to anything else she said. He was little too down in the dumps about her denial. "Don't worry," Roark whispered to him. "I have the same problem with a friend of mine."

Paul turned to him. "Who?" he inquired quietly, for once not afraid to admit his feelings.

"Garde- I mean no one you know!" Paul had already heard enough, and to it he smirked internally.

So the four went inside, with Paul and Roark (apparently he had refereed the battle with Ash, but this time he wanted to be a spectator) sitting in the bleachers. "The battle between Haley the challenger and Byron the Gym Leader will now begin!" Gerardo the ref announced. "Both sides will use three Pokémon each and the battle is over when all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to continue. And in addition, only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokémon."

"I LOVE FOSSILS!" Byron suddenly declared. "AND I ALSO LOVE DEFENSE!"

Haley sighed at the man's over-the-top excitement, but she couldn't deny the usefulness of what he had just stated. _So he's a man who believes a good defense is the best offense, huh?_ "Make no mistake, Byron, I came here to win!" Haley shouted. "And I'm not leaving without my badge!"

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" the Gym Leader exclaimed. "BUT MARK MY WORDS, IF YOU THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A WALK IN THE PARK, I'VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU!" Byron made it clear in his voice (and...flexing of muscles) that he wasn't going to make it easy.

Haley was fine with that.

"Let the battle begin!"

"MAGNETON, LET'S GO!" The Gym Leader released his Electric-Steel type onto the field.

"Infernape, time to shine!" Haley brought out the Flame Pokémon, who as always was eager for a challenge.

Byron grinned. "Challenger moves first," he revealed.

The Saffron Trainer nodded. "Infernape, kick things off with Flame Wheel!" she ordered. The ape made himself into the fiery wheel and zoomed towards the Magnet Pokémon.

"Metal Sound!" Byron commanded. Its body glowed light blue and emitted silver colored sound waves that spread out towards Infernape, stopping him in tracks and forcing him to cover his ears.

"Sound control, man!" Infernape grumbled. "This is ear splitting!" He looked to notice that Magneton was glowing yellow. He grunted before cartwheeling out of the way of the Thunderbolt, which would have done twice the damage had he let it hit.

"Nice dodging, Infernape," Haley complimented. _Though that Metal Sound is going to be a pain,_ she thought. _If it keeps using that, it can stop us in our tracks whenever it wants._ Her Sinnoh starter must have realized this as well, because he crushed a small rock he had picked up during his dodge and turned it to dust. _Wait...that's it!_ " Infernape, I need you to pick up some rocks and throw them at Magneton!"

Everyone was confused by her command, including Infernape himself. But then he looked at the hand that had crushed the rock and noticed the dust. He grinned and picked up another one. "Got it!" He winded up and pitched the rock with incredible strength and speed right at one of Magneton's eyes, causing it to flinch and close up all of its eyes. "Hey Haley, look, I threw a rock at it," Infernape stated in glee.

"Infernape, _not now_ ," Haley warned.

"Sorry." The Flame Pokémon noticed Magneton was starting to recover, so he threw more rocks at it, each one causing the Magnet Pokémon to close its eyes in protection.

"Now use Mach Punch!" The Fire-Fighting type's eyes glowed yellow and then he charged in a blur of blue right at his opponent.

Byron laughed. "If you think that move will be enough to pierce our high defense-"

"Oh, I never expected it to do so," Haley interrupted. The Gym Leader was confused. "All I expected of it was to close the gap quickly." Byron gasped, as suddenly Infernape was right in the face of his levitating Pokémon. "Close range Flamethrower!" The ape breathed in deeply and then unleashed the fire stream, sending Magneton crashing to the ground.

"No, Magneton!"

"Don't think we're done just yet! Infernape, finish off that Mach Punch!" The challenger zoomed down and punched the Electric-Steel type right in the middle of the three Magnemites. Then, with the Pokémon still on his fist, he raised him arm up.

"Going up..." Then he slammed Byron's first Pokémon back into the ground. "Just to come crashing down." The dust faded, and Infernape removed his fist to reveal the swirls in all three eyes.

"Magneton is unable to battle!" Gerardo declared. "The winner is Infernape!"

Said Pokémon hopped his way over to his Trainer, and the two slapped each other's hand followed by a fist bump. "Awesome job, Infernape," Haley congratulated. Her Sinnoh starter grinned. "But that doesn't mean this is over, not by a long shot."

Byron meanwhile returned his fallen Pokémon. "Awesome job, Magneton," he said quietly. Then he put the Poké Ball back in his belt and grinned. "Well, well, well, looks like you caught me off guard."

"She tends to do that, Dad," Roark informed. "So watch yourself." Then he looked to Haley. "But I wouldn't start celebrating just yet if I were you."

"Wasn't planning on doing so for long," Haley agreed. "Infernape, ready to let the others have fun?" He nodded, and his Trainer recalled him. Then she smirked at the Gym Leader. "So let's see that defense you said you love so much!" she challenged.

The man laughed. "ABSOLUTELY!" he bellowed. "WE'RE NOT FINISHED YET! I LOVE STEELIX!" The Iron Snake Pokémon emerged from Byron's second Poké Ball, looking as intimidating as ever.

Of course, Haley wasn't one to flinch at the sight of one. Jasmine's didn't and neither did Colin's, so why should this one? "Torterra, time to shine!" Her Grass-Ground appeared, all ready to see some action. Once again the Gym Leader gave her the first attack. "Alright then, Torterra use Seed Bomb!" Torterra opened his mouth and released the bombardment of seeds at his opponent.

"Use Dig, Steelix!" Byron commanded. His Pokémon jumped into the battlefield, dodging the Grass type attack.

Haley smirked. _Perfect._ "Earthquake!" she shouted. Torterra lifted his front legs up and came crashing down, resulting in Steelix being thrown out of the ground. "Now use Seed Bomb again!"

"Screech!" The Steel-Ground type opened his enormous mouth and released loud sound waves, stopping the attack and making Torterra brace himself just as Infernape had. "Iron Tail!" Steelix's tail glowed, and then slammed it right onto Torterra, who was still a little fazed. He ended up flat on the ground as Steelix retracted its tail.

"Torterra, are you all right?" Haley questioned.

"Ugh, yeah," he groaned. Then he heard Byron order his Pokémon to use Bind on him. "Aw, crap."

"Just keep calm and use Giga Drain!" his Trainer commanded. Still on the ground, the Continent Pokémon made the three mountains glowed green and shot energy beams out of them. They wrapped around the tail and stopped it from crashing down on him once more. Steelix was surprised and frozen in place. "Now drain him of his energy!" Her Pokémon zapped the energy from his opponent and restored his lost energy. Steelix slumped down as Torterra stood up, almost back to full health. "Use Seed Bomb again!" The Grass-Ground type opened his mouth once more and shot the seeds at his opponent. Still disturbed from Giga Drain, Steelix wasn't able to dodge in time and took the full blunt of the attack.

Then the smoke cleared, prompting Gerardo to shout, "Steelix is unable to battle! The winner is Torterra!"

"Nice work, Torterra!" Haley complimented. His Grass type nodded in response as the Gym Leader recalled his second fallen Pokémon. "Now take a good rest." She too brought back her Pokémon and replaced his Poké Ball with another one. "Come on, Mister Defense, I want to see what you've been talking about," she taunted.

Byron just smirked. "I can see how you defeated my son," he admitted. "You're one who believes a good offense is the best defense, even more so than him." He chuckled and pulled out his final Poké Ball. "But this is where we make our last stand! You're not going to get past Bastiodon!" And with that he released his obviously prized Pokémon.

"Empoleon, time to shine!" Haley shouted, sending out the Emperor Pokémon.

"Watch out Dad, that's a tricky Empoleon!" Roark warned.

The older Gym Leader nodded. "Though I do say it's well raised," he complimented. "A lovely Steel type indeed."

He obviously took a liking to the compliment, seeing as he puffed out his chest, making his Trainer give off a long, exasperated sigh. "Save your ego-stroking until _after_ you've won," she told him.

"Will do, Chief," Empoleon replied with a grin.

Haley sighed again. "Why me?" she muttered. "Alright, Empoleon, start off with Bubblebeam!" From his open beak came the million bubbles zooming towards the Shield Pokémon. Meanwhile, it didn't move, too bulky to move out of the way.

Not that Byron seemed to be bothered.

"Iron Defense!" he shouted, and Bastiodon's face became metallic. It stood there as its shield-like face acted as a shield. The Rock-Steel type flinched slightly at its weakness, but not enough to stop it from using Metal Burst. Its body glowed metallic and then it opened its mouth, forming a white ball in front of it. The ball absorbed the bubbles and Bastiodon fired the white ball at Empoleon. Caught off guard, he didn't have time to dodge and took his absorbed attack at double the power. The Water-Steel type was pushed back and slightly dazed.

"Hey, don't let that get to you!" Haley encouraged.

He nodded. "Absolutely," he agreed. With the order to use Surf, he created the giant wave and rode right towards his opponent.

"Bastiodon, time to switch from defense to offense!" Byron exclaimed. "Use Thunder!"

Everyone was extremely surprised. "Use what?!" Haley cried as Bastiodon charged up electricity. "Empoleon, jump off the wave and dodge it!" He did as commanded, but it was as if he was a lightning rod, because the bolt went for him regardless and pumped him full of electricity. "Empoleon!" Haley watched as her bred Pokémon rocketed towards the rocky floor.

"Now use Iron Head!" the Gym Leader ordered. Bastiodon once again surprised the challenger by running pretty fast towards her falling Pokémon. Wrapped in a white aura that made it look black and white, it slammed right into Empoleon and sent him flying towards the wall of the Gym.

"Empoleon is unable to battle! Bastiodon is the winner!"

Haley was more concerned with how her Pokémon felt. She knew this would devastatingly crush his pride. And when she ran to his side and hoisted him up, she saw she had been right. "I'm sorry," the usually proud Pokémon mumbled half-heartedly. "That was abysmal."

"No it wasn't," Haley assured with a smile. "He just caught us off guard. You did great, Empoleon."

"If you say so," Empoleon replied quietly.

His Trainer nudged his head. "I'm right and you know it," she chuckled. "Now come on, stop moping and get a good rest." He nodded, and Haley returned him to his Poké Ball. Then she turned back to the Gym Leader with determination and ran back to her box. As she did she threw another Poké Ball. "Infernape, battle stance!" she shouted as she released the Fire-Fighting type. "Mach Punch!" Her Pokémon moved so fast it was almost as if his feet weren't touching the ground. He appeared right in front of Bastiodon and punched it back, revealing his own determined eyes.

For once, Infernape was taking something 100% seriously, with no cockiness in sight.

Byron smiled. "Well, look at that," he said. "Looks like there's some spirit in you." Then he gave off a smirking grin. "BUT SO DO WE, AND THIS IS WHERE WE SHINE!"

"Flamethrower!" Infernape fired his attack right at the Rock-Steel type.

"COUNTER WITH METAL BURST!" Byron ordered. Once again the Shield Pokémon absorbed the attack and sent it back as a glowing white ball.

"Bounce it back!" Haley shouted. Using Mach Punch, Infernape volleyed the attack right to the sender.

"IRON DEFENSE!" Bastiodon once again raised its defense and withstood the attack. "NOW USE IRON HEAD!" Once again it charged at speeds Haley didn't think possible for the bulky-looking Steel type.

Haley was ready, though. "Dodge and use Flame Wheel!" she commanded. Right before Bastiodon hit, Infernape moved out of the way and turned into the familiar wheel. He shoot right at Bastiodon, but to Haley's surprise the Gym Leader's final Pokémon turned around with ease and, still using Iron Head, collided with the Fire type attack. Thanks to its raised defense, Bastiodon didn't take much damage, and because he was resistant to Steel type moves, Infernape wasn't badly harmed either.

Psychically, anyway.

It was in the moment Infernape locked eyes with his opponent that Haley learned Iron Head had the secondary effect of flinching. She might have been annoyed by such a fact had she not noticed Infernape seemed more scared than he should have been. He even backed away slightly, as if Bastiodon was a predator, and went into a defensive position. "S-stay away from me!" he warned in a shaky voice. "Stay a-away!"

"In... Infernape?" Haley questioned.

Her Pokémon wouldn't listen. Of course, Byron didn't understand that Infernape more scared than he should be. "THUNDER!" he exclaimed.

The ape's eyes grew wide and began shaking.

Thunder?

_ Thunder?! _

"Come on, Infernape, dodge! You can do it!" Haley encouraged.

And he did.

But not in a way anyone expected.

Everyone watched as Infernape slumped to the ground, dodging the Electric type attack.

But the reason he dodged was because he had fainted.

Not because of fatigue, but out of fear.

Gerardo didn't even know what to make of it. "Uh...Infernape is...unable to battle," he stated. "The...winner is...uh, Bastiodon."

Haley was about to run out to her Pokémon, but he ended up picking himself up and walked back, his head hung in shame. "Haley..." he mumbled. "I'm sorry."

She knelt down. "Don't worry," she told him. He finally looked at her eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Infernape's eyes shifted away before meeting her eyes again. "Later," he promised. "Right now you have to beat this guy." He smiled. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Haley nodded, and then pulled out his Poké Ball, but Infernape put out a hand to stop her. "I want to watch Torterra," he requested. Suddenly Empoleon popped out of his own Poké Ball, grinning all the while.

"I would too," he voiced. Then the girls brought themselves out as well.

"Same here!" the three cried.

The Trainer looked at her five Pokémon, going from one to the next, and when she went back to Infernape, she smiled. "Alright guys," she said as she brought out Torterra's Poké Ball and enlarged it, "cheer us on, okay?" They cried out, and Haley smirked at Byron. "Torterra, battle stance!"

The white beam released Torterra, who let out a roar and stomped his front legs onto the ground. "Let's do this!" he declared, to which his fellow teammates cheered in agreement.

"Be careful, Dad!" Roark called from the bleachers. "This is where she gets really serious!"

"THEN THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET SERIOUS AS WELL!" Byron declared. "BASTIODON, USE IRON HEAD!" The Shield Pokémon charged at Torterra at his surprising pace.

But Haley was more than ready this time.

"Use Giga Drain!" she ordered. The vines appeared again and wrapped themselves around Bastiodon, stopping it in its tracks. The Steel-Rock type struggled, but it wasn't enough to break Torterra's strong grip. Though, it was clear in its face that it was confused as to why Torterra wasn't zapping its energy. Seeing its confused look, Haley smirked, and Bastiodon realized that it couldn't lead to anything good. "Seed Bomb!"

Giga Drain hadn't been used to suck out energy.

It had been used to keep it from moving.

Byron watched as his Pokémon was bombarded with seeds. He grunted. "BASTIODON, USE METAL BURST!"

"Fling it!" Torterra whipped his vines so that his opponent crashed into the ground. "Now use Earthquake!" she commanded. The Continent Pokémon slammed the ground and caused the earth to shake. The violent tremors threw Bastiodon up into the air, and its side was visible to the challengers, giving Haley an idea. "Aim for its hide and use Seed Bomb again!" Torterra nodded before opening his mouth and firing at the cream yellow body. Bastiodon cried out, and when the attack was finished, it tumbled to the ground. But all of the Iron Defenses had paid off, and that allowed the Gym Leader's Pokémon to stand, although it was clearly starting to lose energy.

"NOW THAT'S DEFENSE!" Byron shouted. "ALRIGHT, BASTIODON, USE IRON HEAD ONCE MORE!" So it charged once more, faster than Haley would have predicted it would have been able to move at its current health. It caught her and even Torterra off guard enough to have the Grass-Ground type take the hit and been pushed back a bit. Now he looked tired, thanks to his earlier battle with Steelix.

"Torterra, hang in there!" Haley encouraged.

"You can do it!" the rest of the team cheered.

The Pokémon on the field nodded. "I...I won't lose," he promised. And then his entire body began to glow green, surprising everyone.

"Is that-"

"Haley!" Paul's voice cut her off, and she looked at him. "Attack with Seed Bomb now!"

She nodded. "You heard him, Torterra! Use Seed Bomb!" For a third time the Continent Pokémon opened up his mouth and released the seeds, but this time they were much bigger and more powerful. Each seed hit the Shield Pokémon like sledgehammers to the face (well...in a human sense), and with the final seed it was sent flying back. Once it landed it tried to get up, but ultimately Bastiodon was unable to, and its head hit the floor, fainted.

"Bastiodon is unable to battle! Torterra wins! The victory goes to Haley of Saffron City!"

The team cheered in victory and then ran up to hug the Grass type. "Torterra, that was awesome!" Haley congratulated. "You activating Overgrow was perfect timing!"

"Yeah!" he agreed. "I did it! I beat the Gym Leader's last Pokémon!"

"Now you're hanging with the rest of us!" Infernape stated with his trademark cocky grin.

Staraptor looked down. "I haven't," she sighed.

Haley smiled. "Don't worry, Star, I'm sure it'll happen," she assured. The Predator Pokémon smiled.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed," Byron stated as he walked up to the team. Haley stood up and smiled bigger. "My Pokémon and I trained at Iron Island until we were blue in the face." He laughed. "Guess that means I have to toughen up some more. But nevertheless," he pulled out a badge shaped like three stones and three pickaxes and presented it to his challenger, "I give you the Mine Badge, in honor of you getting past my defense."

The girl gladly took her prize. "Thank you, Byron." Her Pokémon voiced out thanks themselves.

Byron nodded. "And Paul," he acknowledged the Trainer walking up with his son. "I'll be expecting an amazing battle with you tomorrow."

"Yes sir," Paul agreed.

"And then, after that, we're going home, right?" Roark asked.

"Absolutely," Byron stated. "I wouldn't miss mine and your mother's anniversary for the world." Roark beamed.

"Then we'll see you tomorrow," Haley said. "Come on, guys, let's get to the Pokémon Center and get you healed up." The three participants grinned, and she proceeded to return all of her Pokémon before she and Paul walked out the door.

Later that night after dinner, Paul stepped outside of the Center for some training, and Nurse Joy had finished healing up Haley's Pokémon. She put them all back in her belt except for one and walked over to the couches huddled around the TV before releasing Infernape. He looked at her and then sighed. "I'm still really sorry about today," he told her.

"Infernape, don't worry, I'm not angry," Haley replied. "I just want to know what's bothering you."

The Flame Pokémon sighed again. "Well, when I was at Professor Rowan's lab, I tended to have fun with the researchers by making them try and catch me," he began. "Sometimes I would even hide to have even more fun with them. One day, it was raining, and I hid in some bushes before it began. The researches couldn't find me, and I thought it was funny. Well...until these poachers came along, trying to capture me. They had this Pokémon I've never seen before. I didn't get a good look at it, but the parts I remember, I _really_ remember." He shuddered. "It had these four fangs and orange eyes, and it honestly looked like a much bigger Ekans, only it was floating. And then the poachers ordered it to use Thunder, over and over and over again. I was almost knocked out but luckily one of the researchers found me. His name was Nick, and he had this really cool Tangrowth that fought the strange Pokémon out. And then halfway through everything went black. I woke up back in the lab, so the poachers were either scared off or caught. All I knew was that whatever that thing was...I was terrified of it, and Thunder attacks as well." He stared at the ground. "I mean, just Thunder. Thunderbolt and Discharge and things like that, I can live with. Just Thunder. It's...kind of pathetic, to be honest."

"A fear is never pathetic," Haley countered. "If you're afraid of something, you're afraid of something. Now if you were to let the fear _control_ you...well, even then, I wouldn't call it pathetic." She chuckled. "You've seen me, Infernape; when I'm up in the air, I scream like a madman. But the only way to get over fears is to face them. And besides, if those guys saw you now, they'd run screaming with their tails between their legs." Infernape grinned, making Haley smile. "Now that's the Infernape I know." They fist bumped. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," he stated.

Haley nodded. "Good. Now let's get back to the room." She got up with her Fire type following behind her, but as they walked they noticed someone at one of the videophones. They stopped. "Byron?"

"Honey, I know I promised- ...Listen, this isn't something I can just leave to someone like Colin. Iron Island has people inhabiting the place, too..." Byron listened to his wife and then sighed, rubbing his temples as he did. "Yes, yes, I know. And you know I would never miss our day, but this- ...Topaz, please just listen to me."

"Byron, is something wrong?" Haley asked, approaching him.

The Gym Leader turned to the girl and gave off a tired smile. "Ah, hello again, Haley," he greeted. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Who is that?" a woman's voice piped up.

Byron turned back to the screen while Haley walked into view, curious. She was met with a woman with long cordovan hair and cordovan eyes, much like Roark. "This is Haley," Byron introduced. "She challenged my Gym today."

"And my friend is suppose to battle there tomorrow," Haley added.

"Unfortunately, I believe plans have to change," Byron sighed. "Apparently, some group did some destructive damage to Iron Island, and since it's in my jurisdiction to help preserve that island, I can't battle with Paul tomorrow. Actually...I predict all week, considering what Riley and the Nurse Joy there told me."

"Byron, our anniversary is this week," Topaz reminded, sounding annoyed.

Her husband once again looked to the screen. "Topaz, I _know_ that," he stressed, "but I can't just-"

"If I can offer a suggestion," Haley intervened, seeing as how she believed this conversation was just going to go in circles at this rate. _A stubborn wife for an equally stubborn husband,_ she thought. The two adults looked to her. "Mrs..."

"Just call me Topaz."

Haley nodded. "Topaz, I understand an anniversary is a special day. Trust me, I never forget important days like that. But if the lives of both people and Pokémon are in danger, and if it's Byron's job to oversee the renovations, then I think he can miss it just this once. However," she had to raise her voice slightly when it looked like Topaz was going to rebuttal, "I think he should spend time with you. Let him take the week to help out at Iron Island and then spend the following week with you."

The Gym Leader looked at Haley. "What about Paul?" he pointed out.

"Paul's just going to have to deal with the fact that you care about your family," Haley replied. Even Infernape agreed to that.

Byron turned to his wife. "Honey, how does that sound?"

Topaz thought about it. Then she met his gaze sternly. "You better not forget," she warned.

His face brightened. "Of course I won't," he promised. "And how about this: since I'm missing the actual day, you get to drag me to whatever you want to do, even if I'd rather not."

"Oo, a torture week," Haley said with a grin. "What's one item on the list?"

"Prepare to be visiting a lot of jewelry stores," Topaz responded.

Byron laughed. "I figured you would say that." Then he smiled. "I'll see you next week."

Topaz finally smiled. "Love you." And then she ended the call.

The Gym Leader sighed. "Thank you," he told Haley. "That would have gone on for much longer if I wasn't lucky enough to get you to intervene."

Haley nodded with a smile, but then went to a curious face. "What exactly happened on Iron Island?" she asked.

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure on the details myself," Byron admitted. "All I know is I have to be there." He looked right into her eyes. "Can you tell Paul I'm sorry?"

"Of course," Haley agreed. Byron smiled, patted her shoulder, and walked out of the Pokémon Center. Then the girl sighed. "Though I can guarantee he won't be happy in the slightest."

"I bet all of the Wepear Berries in the world," Infernape voiced.

...

Too bad Wepear Berries were Infernape's favorite. He was going to lose every single one that existed.

"What do you mean he had to cancel?!" Paul snapped the next morning.

"You do realize there's more to being a Gym Leader than just battling, right?" Haley pointed out in annoyance.

"He-"

"Has to go because innocent lives could be in danger." She huffed. "Jeez, stop acting like a spoiled child."

Paul grunted. "Fine, I'll wait until he's available," he compromised.

"You'll be waiting two weeks, then."

"You said the Iron Island thing would only take a week. Where did the extra one come from?"

"Spending time with his wife."

" _What_?!"

"Paul, she's his wife, cut him some fucking slack," Haley grumbled. "Their anniversary was this week, and he's going to miss it, so I told him to take another week off."

" _You_ told him?!"

"God, what is so wrong about him spending time with the woman he married?" Haley questioned. "Now like I said, stop acting like a spoiled child. You have two options: either stay here and train or we can move on."

Paul decided on the latter, but not in a calm way. He snatched Haley's wrist and dragged her outside. "We're going to Snowpoint City," he decided, "but we are _not_ walking to Eterna City."

Haley tilted her head. "Then how else are we suppose to..." Her eyes widened. "No. No, nonononono, Paul please don't-" He grabbed one of Haley's Poké Balls and released Staraptor. "Paul, _any_ thing else, _please_!" But her begging fell on deaf ears. Instead he just hoisted the girl onto his back and jumped on the Predator Pokémon. Staraptor looked at him like he was crazy, but his piercing glare made it clear he wasn't fooling around. So she took off to the skies, though tentatively. And when she did, Haley buried her face in Paul's back and began to sob in fear. "Paul, please stop!" she sobbed. "Please, please stop!"

He was silent. "Staraptor, take us to Eterna City," he ordered. Staraptor was about to protest in light of her Trainer's distress, but another harsh glare shut her beak.

So for the entire forty-minute trip, the two listened to Haley's sobs, which would die out every once in a while. They usually came back, especially if Staraptor had to move in a slightly erratic way to avoid a flock of on coming Flying types. When they finally arrived, Haley seemed to melt off of her Pokémon while Paul just hopped off with ease. He returned the Flying type to her Poké Ball and then held it in front of the fear-filled Trainer's face. For about a minute she did nothing, but then she recuperated and took the Poké Ball. Then she stood up. "I'm going to get something for the route ahead," she reported in a small voice before walking off to find a store to buy winter clothes. Paul shrugged and went to get a room at the Pokémon Center.

Mission accomplished, with no repercussions whatsoever.


	28. Reaching A Higher Goal

Paul spoke too soon.

For an entire week, Haley didn't speak to him. Well, okay, she did, but could he really count one worded answers or questions that required at minimum one-worded answers as speaking? Whenever Paul tried to strike up a conversation, she would answer briefly, hum, or do nothing. And whenever he tried apologizing, she walked a bit faster.

Haley. Was.  _Pissed_.

He honestly wished to be physically hurt instead. At least the pain and the bruise would fade.

It didn't get any better when they entered Squallville, the last town before they hit the worst of the road towards Snowpoint City. And in Eterna, the only thing Haley found were black leggings, which she did start wearing the closer they got to the northern most city. But that meant more shopping, and the one thing Haley did say to him in the past week was, "You're coming with me."

Great. Four words and they were the words men despised. Just great.

Now normally, Paul would be one of few men who didn't mind. Haley was usually fast when it came to shopping, and even when she did shop it was only for supplies. True, he had never been  _clothes_  shopping with her, but how bad could it possibly be?

An hour and a half later, Paul would have rather been lobotomized.

He painfully watched as she tried to pick the right outfit, and she did it  _sooo slowly_. Whenever Paul opened his mouth to tell her to  _hurry up for the love of Arceus_ , she would just look back with a curious gaze but with a hint of coldness to it. Every time, Paul shut up and looked away.

 _Mental note,_  Paul thought to himself.  _Never make Haley furious._

As she walked to  _yet another rack_ (Paul was thinking, at this point, this was his true punishment), the purple haired Trainer noticed a flyer pinned to the wall, and what it was advertising caught his eye. "So, there's a PokéRinger competition in this town," he noted to himself. But it was loud enough for Haley to hear.

"What's PokéRinger?" she asked.

Paul had gotten used to the cold tone in her voice, so for it to be full of curiosity made him jump. He turned to meet her gaze, which was half curious about the competition and half "Really?". The boy cleared his throat. "It's a competition for Flying types," he explained. "The goal is to get the ring to the goal before your opponent."

"Let me guess: training for Honchkrow?"

That...actually sounded like a good idea. "Absolutely," Paul stated as if he had been thinking that all along. Well, it was kind of forming, but she brought it to life. He began to walk to the counter. "Come on. Finish your shopping and then let's head to the Pokémon Center. We haven't gotten our Pokémon healed yet."

"I've been done with shopping," she replied.

He froze in place and turned to meet her eyes. "What?"

"I've been done for about an hour now," she revealed. "Though, I have been looking around just in case. How did you not realize we've been to this rack five times already?"

Paul stared, his mouth wide open. "So, you've just been-"

"Torturing you? Yes." And with that she walked to the counter, items in hand.

All Paul could do was watch her go with a blank look on his face.

Haley bought all of the clothes, and then - after picking up a still frozen Paul - they made their way to the Pokémon Center. While they waited for their teams to be healed, Nurse Joy informed the female Trainer that she had a call. So the two Trainers went to the videophone and Haley answered her call. She frowned. "The hell do you want, Ray?" she grumbled.

"Oh my God, get the fuck over it!" her older brother shouted. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? But hey, you have to admit those are some good moves for Sceptile." Haley narrowed her eyes. "You seriously need to learn how to let go of grudges."

"Ray, that was the  _sixth_ time-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to call you about." The green haired male smiled. "I wanted to see how you were doing, since the last time we talked, you were all down and depressed."

Paul could easily see she was contemplating on whether to ignore or answer him. She decided to go with the latter. "Well, I got my sixth badge and I'm going to Snowpoint City to get my seventh," she told him

Ray beamed. "That's my little sister!" he exclaimed. "Watch out for Candice, though. She's one tough customer."

Haley smirked. "I can handle her," she replied.

"Of course you can!" Ray agreed. "And how about you, Mister Unsmiley?"

Ever since the call to swap Torterra and Sceptile back, that was Ray's nickname for Paul. Did he really not smile that much? "Going for my sixth," he responded.

"Byron had to unfortunately cancel on him to take care of some business on Iron Island," Haley informed.

"Bummer," the older male stated. "Still, he'll be there, and you have plenty of time before the Pokémon League. Don't be too harsh on the guy."

Too late. "Yeah, sure," Paul said.

"So, what's happening today?"

"Paul's entering a PokéRinger competition today."

Ray perked up. "A PokéRinger competition?" he repeated with a hint of happiness.

"You know about it?" Haley questioned.

"Your big brother here won one in Gale Town while traveling through Johto," he revealed with pride. "Beat your brother while I was at it."

"You know Reggie?" Paul asked.

The eldest Sedai child nodded. "He and I were rivals, and pretty fierce ones, too," he stated. "Reggie didn't like the idea of being owned by someone four years younger than him, and I couldn't stand the thought of being trumped by someone four years older than me. So any time we saw each other, we fought. And like I said, one of those times was at the Gale Town PokéRinger competition." He beamed with pride, only to look annoyed a second later. "He kicked my ass at the Crossgate Town competition in Hoenn, though. That was brutal."

"Neat!" Haley exclaimed. Paul couldn't quite get as enthusiastic. Suddenly Nurse Joy called for the two Trainers. "Oo, I'll get them!" And she ran off.

That gave Paul a chance to go through with his idea. "Ray, I need your help with something," he stated.

"Shoot."

"I think Haley should enter the PokéRinger competition."

Ray blinked, and then again, and one more time for good measure. " _What_?!" he cried. "Are you  _trying_ to get us killed?!"

"No, I just think it would help her to get over her fears," Paul reasoned.

"But think of the repercussions!" Ray countered.

"Oh, I already know what they would be," Paul mumbled.

"How?"

Paul wondered if he should tell the story. He sighed. "Well..." He proceeded to tell Haley's older brother of his really dumb mistake.

Ray was not the happiest guy.

"You did-"

"Yes, yes, I've heard the silence," Paul interrupted. "My point is, I already know what I'm in for, and I think it would be a good step."

Ray sighed. "Alright, fine, but this was your idea, not mine. I'm actually thinking her Charizard would be best for the competition." She had a Charizard?! "Yeah, I don't know how she keeps finding starters, either." What the fuck?! "I get these two reactions a lot."

Well, at least he couldn't read faces like Haley could. "We'll just tell her that Charizard needs training-"

"Which he does."

"And that you'll help Staraptor out."

"I promise I won't switch the moves around this time."

Paul nodded, and in that instance Haley came back. "Oh, since when did you two get all buddy-buddy?" she inquired in a good naturally way.

The males looked at her. "Haley, your brother and I were thinking it would be a good idea if you entered the competition as well," Paul stated.

She tilted her head. "Why?"

"Charizard needs proper exercise," Ray piped up. "In the mean time I'll train Staraptor. And I promise I won't switch moves!" he added quickly. "I promise!"

Haley thought about it. "Well, I usually don't like tournaments," she pointed out. Then she smiled. "But why not? If you both say I should, then I should. It would be awesome to see Charizard again." She smiled bigger. "And it sounds like fun, too."

Ray and Paul eyed each other warily. "Yeah, fun," Ray repeated. Then he held up a Poké Ball. "I have Charizard's Poké Ball right here. Just send me Staraptor and we'll be good to go."

His sister nodded and sent her Sinnoh Flying type for her Kanto Flying type. "By the way, why did you sound unsure there?" she questioned.

 _Shit, shit, shit!_ Paul panicked. Ray, meanwhile, tried to make eye contact with anything other than the hazel eyes. His own amber ones found something, and they didn't look too happy. "Austin, those are for Tyra!" he shouted. He grabbed Staraptor's Poké Ball and jumped out of his seat. "Sorry, Sis, the little brat is trying to eat Tyra's birthday cookies. Gotta go- Austin, get your hands off, now!" And with that roar the call ended.

Haley sighed and rolled her eyes. "Looks like Austin  _finally_  made it to Saffron," she stated. "I hope he realizes he only has a few more months before the Kanto Pokémon League starts. He's going to miss it again if he does."

"Wait, he missed a League tournament?" Paul questioned.

"Yeah, Austin's too laid back for his own good," Haley replied. "He literally strolled from place to place and only collected three badges last year. I think that's why our parents gave him a Wooper as his starter; any other Pokémon would be running circles around him to get a move on."

So a strict Trainer's Schoolteacher, two on-the-go battle-ready Trainers, and a laid back I-don't-give-a-shit eleven year old kid. "So what's your dad? A chill guy you wouldn't expect to take anything seriously until you get into a battle with him and then he wipes the floor with you?"

"How did you know?"

Paul threw his hands up in defeat. "I give. You win. Your family is weirder." Haley beamed and then walked out of the Pokémon Center, Paul following her. Once outside, Haley released the (other) Flame Pokémon, and Charizard gave off a mighty roar.

"Charizard!" Haley cried and hugged her Fire type, who returned her hug. "It feels like it's been forever! How have you been?"

"Doing well," her Pokémon told her. "And you?"

"Great!" she exclaimed. "Oh, by the way, this is my friend Paul." The male dipped his head in greeting, and then Charizard lowered his head and growled. In that instant, Paul realized Charizard was protective of his Trainer.

And knowing what was about to happen, Paul did not like his chances.

Haley laughed. "Cut it out, Charizard, he's a good guy," she assured.

The dragon-like Pokémon lifted his head. "I've still got my eye on him," he replied, glaring. Paul gulped. "So, what am I here for?"

"There's a PokéRinger competition today," Haley explained, "which is a competition specially for Flying types. And Ray recommended you would be the best for us to win."

Charizard nodded. "Let's do it," he stated. "This will be easy."

Paul didn't show any signs of the  _veeeerrrry_ nervous laughter ringing in his head.

So with Charizard informed, Haley returned him for the time being and the two went to where the competition would be held. "Why do you not like competitions, anyway?" Paul asked. It had been a question long time coming, but now seemed appropriate.

"Think about it," Haley began. "You could get lucky and get the not-so-good Trainers, and an opponent down the road has been through brutal fight after brutal fight. You got to fight the worst of the worst while they did exactly the opposite, and when it comes down to it, you don't get to match equal strengths. Tournaments only pit you against a few opponents, some who might not be worth it. The Elite Four Run, however, gets you to fight increasingly tougher opponents, and you're never left thinking you lost because you didn't get enough practice from the fights before."

Understandable logic, but also personal preference. At least, that was how Paul saw it. He shrugged as a response, and by that time they were at the front of the line. The two signed up and made their way to the competitors box.

"So, an honorary citizen of the town and a whole bunch of Pokémon food?" Haley repeated the prizes when they sat on the bench. "Sounds good to me. Weeks and weeks of not paying for food! I mean, wouldn't it be-" She was suddenly cut off by the announcer, Rhonda Blade of Sinnoh Now, bumping into the boom with her forehead and then yelling at her coworker Jack. It startled Paul and Haley, the latter of who was so startled she accidentally bumped into Paul and sent them both crashing to the floor, their noses touching. They blinked, and then Haley rolled off to him and stood up. "S-sorry," she stammered.

Her friend blinked again before picking himself up and dusting off his clothes. "It..." He cleared his throat and loosened up his suddenly tight collar. "Yes, well...don't worry about it." Paul sat back down on the bench.  _Just stay calm, stay calm. You already have enough to worry about, STAY. CALM._ But how could he when all he could think about was how close her face had been to his? His thoughts were finally snapped back into place when the first battle was called.

Paul was not the happiest guy.

"Ash is participating, too?" Haley questioned, back on the bench as well. Paul gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists.  _Great, just...ugh, don't bother._

"As our competitors get to their positions, let's go over the rules for all of you lovely folks in the stands," Rhonda's voice rang through the stadium. Paul tensed up slightly since he and Haley had bypassed on reading the rules because they "knew them". Well, now they would  _really_ know them. "Attached to a balloon is a ring, and the goal of each Trainer's Flying type is to grab it and be the first to get it onto the goal in the middle of the field. And so that Trainers can easily see what is going on, they will be in hot air balloons, raised to the official altitude of 100 feet into the air."

The people in the southeast competitor's box all felt the tone shift, and immediately slid away from the source, including Paul himself. "Hot...air balloons?" Haley squeaked, looking petrified.

A boy with gray hair and a red vest with white tank top underneath huffed. "You went into this competition and didn't-" The rest was muffled when Paul put a hand over his mouth, which the boy could feel tremble.

"Hot...air balloons?" Haley repeated in the same scared tone. Paul dared to venture back over to her, so tentatively he slid back over, and to meet his eyes she turned her head in a shaky way. "You and Ray didn't mention...hot air b-b-b-balloons."

"We're trying to help you, Haley," Paul reasoned in a soft voice. "Just-"

"If you say don't-"

"That's terrible advice and everyone knows it!" Paul snapped at the random girl. He turned back to Haley. "Just keep calm. The balloons are really stable. All you need to do is stay near the center and pretend you're on the ground."

Haley shook her head. "I can't do it," she argued quietly.

"Yes you can," Paul countered. "You're always talking about facing fears. Well, here's a chance. Just get absorbed in the battle like you usually do and you'll be fine."

She stared at him, then at the ground, and finally raised her head to watch as Ash and his opponent Taylor took to the skies in their hot air balloons. "...I'll try," she decided meekly. That was all she expected out of her Pokémon; it should be no different for her. "But...I don't know how to operate a hot air balloon."

"They're designed simply so anyone can," Paul informed. "I'll teach you." Haley nodded.

The boy from earlier scoffed. "You should just drop out," he stated. "Especially since you'll probably end up looking at the gro-"

"SHUT  _UP_!" the entire box (minus Haley) roared.

The competitors watched as Ash and his Staravia battled Taylor's Skarmory. The others were impressed by Staravia's speed and stamina, and even Haley had to admit she was amazed. Of course, Paul was on the opposite end, not caring and scoffing internally at Ash's luck.  _The only reason his Staravia didn't get hit by that Air Cutter was because a gust was fortunate enough to move it out of the way,_ he criticized as the Starling Pokémon flew over another Air Cutter. Taylor watched as a speedy Aerial Ace driving the ring around the goal beat him. Paul stood up. "Come on," he told Haley. She nodded and stood up as well, and the two went off to the air balloon bay. They heard something about Paul's opponent winning the past four competitions in a row, but Paul only scoffed.

"Figures you would do such a thing," Haley mumbled.

"You would as well and you know it," Paul replied.

"Paul, I'm going to be in a fucking  _hot air balloon_!" she snapped. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly comfortable with heights!"

"And I'm not the best when it comes to fighting Ghost types," Paul pointed out. "Just do as I said and you'll be fine."

Haley hugged her chest. "I hope it's as easy done as said," she muttered.

By that time they had made their way to the bay, and they heard his name being called over the loudspeaker. Ash, meanwhile, was still in the bay, and obviously looked surprised to hear his rival's name called. Paul and Haley walked in, and their footsteps made Ash turn to the noise. He smiled. "Paul, I had no idea you were entered in this competition," he stated.

"Yeah, so what if I am?" Paul questioned as he walked past him and to the balloon.

"So what if you are?" Ash repeated under his breath. Then he frowned. "Well, you could have at least said hi."

"Since when has he ever said hi?" Haley replied.

Ash turned to her. "Are you competing as well?"

She eyed the ground. "I guess so," she answered quietly.

"Hey." Paul's voice snapped their attention him, already in the basket. "Do you want my help or not?"

"Uh, right." Haley ran up to the side and watched as Paul adjusted the balloon.

The other Trainer watched as Haley observed the actions of the other male. A look of determination grew on his face. "Look Paul," he began, "the next time we battle, I'm  _not_ going to lose, y'know!" The addressed Trainer ignored him and continued to fiddle with the metal part of the balloon. "Hey, don't just ignore me!" Paul proceeded to do otherwise. "Are you even listening?!"

"Would it kill you to shut up for five minutes?!" Paul finally snapped. "I'm trying concentrate, I have a battle in a minute, and she needs to figure out how to operate a hot air balloon! So if you would shut the hell up, that would be towards everyone's benefit!"

Ash looked like he was about to pounce, but Haley got in between them. "Paul, don't rile him up," she instructed. He snorted. "Ash, don't instigate him." Ash's face looked less angry, but the emotion hadn't completely faded. "Come on, let's get back to your box and watch." The younger male nodded and followed her to the stairs, but not without one last glare at Paul. He looked away...

And Paul swore he mouthed, "Asshole."

He was so certain of it he was about to jump out of the basket and figure out if what he had seen was true. But at the same time, Pikachu hadn't reacted, so maybe he was wrong. Though, was Pikachu even looking at his Trainer when he mouthed that? So maybe he just hadn't seen it or-  _Fuck it!_ Paul cried.  _I have to be seeing things. He wouldn't...then again, this wouldn't be the first time..._ Then he shook his head. He had a battle to focus on. Whatever he thought he saw wasn't important. Winning was.

The door above him opened up, and Paul turned on the balloon. It rose up and began to fly, along with his opponent's. It was easy to see the man was confident, and Paul didn't need his friend to know he might have been  _too_ confident. With the call to start, Paul grabbed Honchkrow's Poké Ball. "Honchkrow, stand by for battle!" And with that his Flying type was in the air.

"Dragonite, let's go!" the four time champion Provo called, releasing his Dragon type and giving Paul a reasonable explanation as to why the punk rocker-looking man was a continuous winner.

Didn't faze him.

With one look at each other, Honchkrow knew to go for the ring first rather than his opponent, and he did so very quickly. Provo was obviously not one to back down, and quickly shouted, "Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!" The Dragon Pokémon opened its mouth and fired the blue ball of energy at the Dark-Flying type.

Still didn't faze him.

"Dodge it!" Honchkrow flew in a quick loop, avoiding the fast projectile, and clamped the ring in his beak. He then proceeded to go for the goal, completely bypassing the bigger Flying type.

"Get going and use Fire Punch!" Provo commanded. Dragonite set its fist aflame and went straight for Honchkrow's back. But another quick dodge easily avoided the attack. And the man was obviously not happy. "Dragon Rush now!" he ordered with more intensity. Dragonite charged in a cone of blue energy and was finally too fast for Honchkrow, landing a direct hit right to his back and knocking the ring right out of his beak. It flew towards the ground. "Get it, Dragonite!"

"Take back the ring!" Paul instructed. Both Flying types moved neck and neck towards the object of interest, but Honchkrow had more will due to not being held back by overconfidence and definitely more to lose if he failed in the first round. He beat Dragonite to the ring, surprising the veteran Pokémon.

"Alright, use Dragon Rush again!" Provo decided, and his Pokémon obeyed, hoping for the same result.

But Paul wasn't about to let that happen. He was done just going for the goal, especially since the constant stream of attacks was getting on his nerves. "Sky Attack!" Honchkrow bathed himself in the familiar white glow, but it was clear that Dragonite had better speed. Maybe that was natural or maybe the earlier attack had done it, but either way the Dragon Pokémon was closing in, and Paul needed an advantage. Suddenly he felt the beginnings of a wind gust.  _Perfect._ "Ride the wind and dodge it!" Paul shouted. The Big Boss Pokémon did, and Dragonite was surprised at the sudden burst of speed. It stopped the attack, only to quickly realize the horrible mistake as it became caught off guard in the strong winds. With its defenses down, Honchkrow took the opportunity to ride the wind once more and slam into  _its_ backside, but not just in any place. Sensing its weak spot, he had slammed right in between the wings, and sending Dragonite plummeting to the ground, knocked out.

 _Super Luck,_ Paul realized as his Pokémon causally tossed the ring onto the goal. Not that it mattered, seeing as how his opponent couldn't do shit, but the name of the game was ringing the goal, not KOing your opponent.  _Though...maybe throwing it on like a jackass might be a bit much._ At the same time, though, Paul didn't care. The balloon lowered into the bay, and Paul returned his victorious Pokémon before hopping out of the basket.

Waiting for him was a stage frightened Haley with a very curious Ash and Pikachu combo.

"That's right, you're third round," Paul remembered. Haley suddenly grabbed his jacket.

"Please Paul, help me out!" she cried. "Tell them to put me in the next round, please!"

He raised an eyebrow. "And then what?" Paul questioned. "The round after that? And then the one after that? What happens if we get to the last round and you still haven't gone? Are you just going to give up?"

Haley looked like she was contemplating it. "What's got you so worked up, anyway?" Ash inquired.

As Paul wondered why the hell he was even here, Haley turned to the Pallet Town Trainer. "I'm afraid of heights!" she tried to shout, but it ended up as a squeak halfway through.

Ash tilted his head. "Then...why are you competing?"

She turned back to Paul, obviously trying to look angry but a little too scared to go all the way. "Because Jackass McGee and Shitty Older Brother decided not to inform me!" she informed. Paul really didn't want to explain why he and Ray set this up, and Haley didn't want to hear it again. So she jumped to something else. "Okay, then if we can't convince them, then ride in the balloon with me!" she begged.

"Haley, that's against the rules," Paul pointed out, no matter how much he wanted to actually do what she requested.

The girl looked petrified, and then she turned to Ash again. "Ash, please, help me!"

Paul felt himself beginning to boil.  _If he says yes I will-_ "Sorry Haley," Ash replied, shaking his head, "but rules are rules." Haley started to shake, but then Ash looked like he had an idea. "Hey, why don't you take Pikachu?" he offered. Haley looked at him curiously. "It would be just like if either of us were there, except none of us would receive a penalty." He looked at his Pokémon. "What do you think, buddy?"

In response, Pikachu jumped over to Haley's shoulder. "I'll be right here for you," he assured. "How does that sound?"

Haley ended up nodding and showing off a tiny smile. Paul, meanwhile, was definitely annoyed.  _Jealous of a Pokémon,_ he thought.  _How much more pathetic can you get?_ "Good!" Ash exclaimed. "Well, good luck!"

"Thanks, Ash." He beamed and then ran back to the competitor's box. "So...um, Paul, can we go over how to work the balloon again?"

Paul looked at her. "Sure," he agreed, and when she was in the basket he proceeded to show her the mechanics again. "Well," he began when he finished explaining, "good luck."

His friend nodded. "Thank you," she told him. He nodded back and walked back to his own competitor's box. "Pikachu, I need to ask you to watch for whatever happens below the basket," Haley requested.

"Of course," he agreed. "I'll help you out wherever I can." Haley was about to respond when she heard the hatch open. She looked up to see clear blue skies, and she gulped as she set the balloon to fly with shaky hands. With the fire blazing the balloon lifted up, and the higher it got the more Haley felt like she was going to hyperventilate. "Haley, relax, you can do it!" Pikachu encouraged.

"No," she responded. "I...don't think I can." The balloon only continued to ascend higher and higher. "I-I can't! I can't do it!"

Laughter erupted from her opponent's side, and she looked to see the boy from earlier with a smug looking grin. "I can't believe they'd allow someone like you in this competition," he mocked. "This is going to be like taking candy from a baby." Then he adjusted the red glove on his left hand. "I feel sorry for any Pokémon under your command."

Haley didn't quite agree. Nope. Not one bit. "CHAR-I-ZARD!" she roared. "SHOW THIS PUNK WHO'S BOSS!" She angrily released the Flame Pokémon, finding herself extremely lucky that right before she had thrown the Poké Ball that the match had started.

Charizard stretched his wings and roared, but then looked and noticed Haley in the balloon. "Wait, what's-"

"Ask pointless questions later!" Haley interrupted as her opponent, Jared, sent out his Tropius. "Right now we have to teach that jackass we mean business!" The Fire-Flying type nodded. "Now, go for that ring!" With a flap of his wings, Charizard shot off towards the balloon holding the ring. Everyone was amazed at how fast Charizard was, especially Jared.

"Whoa, what-"

"My Charizard out sped Lance's Dragonite, you know?" Haley told him as Charizard snatched the ring in his claw. She snickered. "Now you're going to pay for mocking me. Head for the goal!" The Flame Pokémon once again took off.

"Whirlwind, Tropius!" Jared commanded. The Fruit Pokémon flapped its leaf-like wings and created a gust of wind aimed at the dragon-like Pokémon. Charizard was caught off guard and struggled to not be brought crashing into his Trainer's balloon since he was a little bit above it. "Now use Air Slash!" Tropius once again flapped its wings to create wind saw blade-like disks and shot them towards the slightly fazed Charizard.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" Haley ordered. Her Pokémon recovered and fired, colliding with the disks. "Follow up with Aerial Ace!" Charizard flew towards the Grass-Flying type at amazing speeds.

"Air Slash again!" So now the two Flying types were countering each other's moves like there was no tomorrow: Charizard would tear through the air disks, while Tropius would disrupt the Aerial Aces. It was a wonder Charizard managed to hold onto the ring for so long, but finally one of the disks hit his arm and sent the ring flying high into the air. The Flame Pokémon was about to take off after it.

"CHARIZARD!" Haley suddenly shrieked. Charizard turned his head, and his eyes widened.

One of the disks was heading right for the tarp.

And he wouldn't be fast enough to block it.

Haley realized this, too, and figured she had two options: either stay in the balloon and crash to the ground with it or...

She took her chances...and leapt right out of the basket.

The entire stadium gasped as Haley and Pikachu were in free fall for a few yards before Charizard swooped under and allowed his Trainer to grasp his neck tightly. Somewhere on the ground, the destroyed balloon landed with a loud  _CRASH_. "Haley, are you okay?" Charizard questioned.

"Shaken up, terrified out of my mind, surprised I haven't peed myself...other than that, doing great," she informed. Since the ground was the last place she even wanted to dare look at, she looked at the cloudless sky to find the ring slowly falling back down. Suddenly, Haley had the drive to win it all, and she completely forgot she was high up in the air. "Charizard."

"Hmm?"

Her eyes burned with determination. "After that ring!"

Charizard couldn't quite believe this was coming out of her mouth, but quickly agreed to her crazy request. The stadium gasped again, this time in confusion, as the Flame Pokémon flew after the ring with his Trainer mounted on his back. He once again gripped the ring in his claw and went straight for the goal. "Haley, don't worry about me, grip however tightly you need to!" he directed over the sound of the wind.

Her grip had been slacking because she believed she was choking the life out of her Pokémon. But with his permission Haley gripped as hard as she could. "Air Slashes coming from the rear!" Pikachu suddenly informed.

"Charizard, don't focus on countering him!" Haley ordered. "Just dodge and head straight for the goal! I want this wrapped up as quickly as possible!"

"Yes ma'am!" the Fire-Flying type agreed. He quickly looked back to see the positions of the disks before dodging all of them, still going towards the post in the middle of the field.

Pikachu, meanwhile, was watching their backs. "Guys, Tropius just used Growth!" There was a pause. "And he's firing an Energy Ball!"

"Charizard!"

He grunted, but then he felt the beginnings of a wind gust. "Hang on!" he shouted. The wind gust began, and Charizard rode it straight up, dodging the powered up Grass type attack. Charizard then freed himself from the wind current and, with more Air Slashes on the way, flew towards the goal again. With little time, seeing as how Tropius was now flying towards them, Charizard thought of a way to end it right then and there. Mustering up all of he strength he could, the Flame Pokémon threw the ring at one of the posts, and it landed perfectly onto the goal.

"GOAL!" Rhoda exclaimed. Haley and the two Pokémon cheered, but the girl slipped a little, and she immediately gripped Charizard's neck again. "However," that word made the three look to the screen again, "because of the unusual circumstances, the officials will quickly decide on the official winner." Haley felt that Rhoda added the "quickly" especially for her. And true to word, the officials were quick, and Rhoda was back on the mike. "According to the officials, because Haley did not touch the ring at any point, she and her Charizard are still the winners of this match!" The crowd erupted into cheers of praise, and the three let out held breath. Then, with the hatch open, Charizard flew down, but not before Haley slipped off. She fell to the ground, only to be caught by Paul. He set her on her feet before hugging her tightly.

"Haley, I'm so sorry, I didn't know that would happen!" he spit out. "I-I didn't think that-"

She laughed quietly and pushed him away slightly. "Paul, there's no reason to be so freaked out," she assured. "I'm okay."

He blinked. "Wait, you're not scared?" he questioned.

Haley held out her hand, which was shaking uncontrollably. "Oh, I'm absolutely fucking terrified," she admitted. "But I'm not hurt, and we won, so everything turned out okay." Charizard landed, and Paul was ready for the 5 foot 10 inch Pokémon (Haley's Charizard was abnormal size) to tear his head off, but Haley then petted his snout. "Charizard, you were awesome," she complimented. "Thank you so much."

Charizard looked down at his Trainer and smiled. "No problem," he replied.

The girl smiled back, and then she grabbed Pikachu and held him in front of her. "And thank you for all of your help," she told him.

Pikachu beamed. "Thanks, but I didn't do much," he humbled.

"Nonsense," Haley responded. Pikachu beamed more, and Haley kissed the top of his head. Without meaning to, Paul put on a jealous-looking face. Charizard caught it, and looked at him curiously. That caught Haley's attention, and she turned to see his face, to which she smirked. "Oh, is someone jealous?" she teased.

Paul finally realized the state of his facial expression and promptly changed it to his usual impassive look, but it had a hint of annoyance and embarrassment. "Jealous of what?" he questioned, feigning ignorance.

"That these two are getting more attention than you," she replied. Then she let Pikachu hop onto her shoulder again, and Haley pointed to him, her smirk getting wider. " _Especially_ Pikachu," she added. The Mouse Pokémon chuckled, mostly likely because he had never seen Paul act this way.

"Tch, that's ridiculous," Paul countered, lying through his teeth. "Me? Jealous of having less attention? Please, that would be absolutely pa-" Haley kissed his cheek. "Pa-pa-pa-"

She winked at him. "See? Now you're even, so no more of that pouty face." And then she went off to the competitor's box, leaving Paul frozen in place for the second time that day.

"Charizard," Paul began, "does that mean she likes me?" The Pokémon shrugged, and Paul sighed.

The competition continued, and soon 12 Trainers were gone, leaving only four left. Ash fought in the semi-finals first, battling a kid named Steveland and his Skiploom. Despite the young boy knowing more about Sinnoh's winds, Ash beat him relatively easily thanks to Staravia's speed (C _oughluckcoughcough,_ Paul thought). But with his battle over, that only left Paul's.

And of all people, it was against Haley.

With Pikachu by her side, she had beaten the previous round with...minor hiccups, but nothing as bad as the first round. So she and Charizard blazed (...no pun intended) through their second match, and to Paul it was no surprise she had made it to the semi-finals.

She was just another opponent, though.

"Hey, Paul!" He looked up to find her across the airfield, smirking and looking pretty confident. She had actually decided to not have Pikachu this round; maybe she figured she didn't need him anymore, and that made Paul smile a little; perhaps things were going in the right direction. "This is the first time we've fought since we first met," she pointed out.

He realized she was right, and he matched her smirk as he pulled out Honchkrow's Poké Ball. "Maybe this time you won't throw the match," he stated.

"Hopefully you won't need me in order to win," Haley countered, bringing out her own Poké Ball.

Cries of " _BURN!_ " and laughter rang through the stadium. Paul, however, wasn't really hurt, considering they had no idea why she had done so in the first place. "You know, I've been waiting to pay you back," he told her. "You're going to pay for scamming me of a good battle and lying to me."

"Bring it."

"Round 3 Match 2, START!" Rhonda announced.

"Honchkrow, stand by for battle!"

"Charizard, time to take flight!"

Both Pokémon appeared, and the second they did, they took off towards the ring without orders and at the fastest they could go. "Attack Charizard with Night Slash!" Paul ordered.

"Oh, so we're doing this first, are we?" Haley questioned, sounding excited and smug. "Fine then, if that's how it's going to be. Charizard, dodge then use Brick Break!" Charizard rolled out of the way and went to punch the Big Boss Pokémon with his glowing fist.

"Dodge!" Honchkrow didn't need to be told twice, and he swooped underneath the three-clawed fist. "Now use Dark Pulse!"

"Counter with Flamethrower!" Both Flying types fired their projectiles, creating a pretty big explosion. The two were covered by the smoke, but soon flew straight up and out of the gray cloud towards the ring balloon.

"Aerial Ace!" the Trainers commanded. Their Pokémon entered the white cone and attacked over and over, either nicking or missing altogether. Giving up on the other male, they finally decided to use the attack to reach the ring faster than the other, but that only caused them to latch onto the ring at the same time. Now they played Tug-O-War, and despite Charizard's amazingly strong jaw, Honchkrow was able to keep grip with his beak.

The Flame Pokémon grunted. "Your Trainer's going to pay for forcing Haley in a balloon," he promised, though slightly muffled.

"Yeah?" Honchkrow questioned with the same problem. "Well, your Trainer's going to pay for her little white lie." Then he snickered. "Though, I guess it's not all bad. It got her to join us, and we've all learned something because of it."

"Really?" Charizard responded flatly.

"For example," the Dark-Flying type began, "I've learned that Paul's been harsher than I truly realized." Then he sneered and yanked the ring out of Charizard's mouth. "But I'll be damned if it isn't effective." And with that he took off towards the goal.

Charizard growled. "Get back here, son of a bitch!" he shouted and flew towards him.

"Don't let him get away!" Haley instructed. "Use Brick Break!"

"Dodge to your left!" Paul ordered. Honchkrow swooped to the left and once again avoided the punch. "Night Slash!"

Now Charizard flew to his left and dodged the glowing wing. "Slam into him!" Haley commanded. The larger Pokémon bashed Honchkrow with his rock-like head (at least, it was according to Honchkrow) and sent him up farther into the sky. "Now Thunder Punch!"

Paul should have known she has a move like that up her sleeve. It still caught him off guard momentarily. "Dodge!" he yelled right before the electrified fist connected. Honchkrow barely got out of the way, and he glared at his Trainer for being slightly late on the call. Paul stealthy gave him the middle finger, but his Pokémon just rolled his eyes.

If it wasn't obvious before, it certainly was then: they were a perfect match.

"Double Thunder Punch!" Haley's order snapped her opponents out of their silent argument as they noticed Charizard prepare both of his fists.

"Dodge all of them!" The Big Boss Pokémon obeyed and maneuvered around the attacks. Some were pretty close calls, and he knew it when he felt the heat of the electricity. He dodged once more before deciding to head straight for goal.

"Follow him!" With a powerful push from his wings, Charizard charged after his smaller opponent. But he was too far; at the pace he was going, Honchkrow would beat him. So Haley thought quickly. "Thunder Ace!" The Flame Pokémon created the wind cone and flew even faster, while at the same time he had his right fist pumping with electricity. Charizard easily caught up with his opponent, surprising him, and with a smirk he connected the attack, sending the Big Boss Pokémon plummeting to the ground and the ring high in the sky. "Awesome!"

Paul watched as his Pokémon barely recovered before hitting the ground. He grunted and looked at Haley, only to find something he wasn't expecting.

And to it, he grinned.

But then his grin gave off smirking properties. He had something to show his friend. "Aerial Slash!" he commanded. He smirked to Haley's surprised face as Honchkrow made both of his wings glow white and shot after Charizard and the slowly descending ring with the incredible speedy attack. He slammed into the surprised Fire type, hitting his weak spot - his stomach - with aid from Super Luck once more. He then snapped his beak around the ring once more and flew back down towards the goal, still using Aerial Ace.

"Charizard, go after him!" Haley ordered. Her loyal Pokémon gave chase as fast as he could, but the attack had worn him down, and Honchkrow was able to loop the ring onto the post.

"GOAL!" Rhonda shouted. The crowd roared as the two balloons began to descend. Haley's look of disappointment was not missed, but neither was her smile. "And Team Paul moves on to the final round! Which will commence after a twenty minute intermission, so whatever you need to do folks, I would suggest doing it now, because you don't wanna miss-" The rest was cut off as the hatch doors closed on both bays.

Haley sighed and climbed out of the basket as Charizard landed, looking disappointed as well. "Sorry, Haley," he apologized.

"Ugh, what is with you guys and apologizing?" she countered. "Especially when you did nothing wrong. Charizard, you were amazing. So he got the best of us, that's nothing to apologize for." Her Kanto Pokémon smiled and nuzzled his Trainer, and she rubbed the sides of his snout. The sound of footsteps and wings flapping caught their attention, and they looked to find Paul and Honchkrow. Haley smiled and walked over to him, Charizard behind her, and she stuck her hand out. "Awesome battle, Paul," she congratulated.

Paul didn't even look at her hand, and Haley was about to tell him off for being rude. "Did you notice something?" he asked. She dropped her hand and gave him a confused look. He gave off a small smile. "You were at the edge of the basket at the end there."

Haley blinked. "...What?" she questioned, not able to believe it.

Honchkrow nodded. "It's true," he stated.

"I think I saw that," Charizard agreed.

The female Trainer looked at all of them. "I...was at the edge of the basket?"

"Told you you'd be too absorbed," Paul pointed out.

She looked like she was trying to remember. "I...guess I was," she realized. The more it connected, the more her straight line became a bigger and bigger smile. "I was at the edge of the basket," she said. When she said that aloud, she beamed. "I was at the edge of the basket!" she repeated excitedly. Haley then hugged Paul, extremely excited and proud of herself.

"Yeah, you were," Paul replied. "Now can you make sure not to squeeze the life out of me?"

She huffed. "So first you want attention and now you don't? Make up your mind." Paul rolled his eyes. "And besides, I'm not hugging you  _that_ hard."

Paul gave off his own huff, but in a good naturally way. "Guess not," he agreed.

So the two went to heal their Pokémon, and when they were done Paul walked back to the bay, splitting off from Haley as she went to the competitor's box. But he didn't get too far down the hallway when he heard a familiar voice sadly greet, "Hey." He stopped and looked back before walking back and peeking around the corner to find Dawn and her Piplup in front of Haley. He raised an eyebrow and stayed to eavesdrop because, hey, why not? He had ten minutes to kill. "I...wanted to apologize for what I did the last time we met," Dawn continued. "You were right...it really was childish of me, and I'm really sorry." Piplup chirped out an apology as well, but Haley said nothing. "I was hoping we could be friends despite my behavior. I didn't mean for it to seem like I didn't want to be friends with you."

Once again, Haley was silent, but Dawn didn't look down. She just waited patiently for a response. And then she got one: a smile. "Thank you, Dawn," she replied. "And, I'm sorry too. I overreacted a bit, and I know I made it seem like I didn't want to be friends even more so than you."

Dawn smiled back. "I have to agree," she stated. "Though, I don't think you overreacted too much."

"No, I went overboard, even before we got to the end of the battle," Haley countered. "So, if it makes us both feel better...friends?"

The younger girl giggled. "Friends," she agreed. The girls hugged, and Piplup got into it, too.

Paul couldn't believe it. How was it that Haley could have been so bitter and Troublesome so...troublesome, and yet still forgive each other. Then he realized he didn't have the right to question, because what did he know about reforging friendships? The only one he had ever had was with Haley, so it's not like he could rely on past experience to understand. And besides, what the Coordinator had done was vastly less offensive than what he had done at the Hearthome Tag Battle competition, and Haley decided to forgive him. Paul didn't quite understand how a friendship worked.

All he knew was that he needed it.

"So, what happened after you left?" Dawn inquired when the girls ceased their hug.

"Paul met up with me, I calmed down, and we traveled to Canalave City," Haley reported, trimming most of the fat. "Nothing special." The younger Trainer smiled. "What? ... No... Dawn, don't you dare-" She gave off an innocent smile, and Paul watched - completely confused, side note - as Haley closed in and began whispering harshly. Dawn responded to whatever Haley had said, and the black haired girl shook her head, as if she was denying something. Paul strained himself to try and hear whatever was being said.

"Come out, that was  _exactly_ what you were doing," Dawn countered.

"No, we weren't flirting!" Haley denied. Paul's eyes widened.  _Troublesome saw that?!_ he thought.  _Wait...we were flirting?_ He thought about it.  _Holy shit, we_ flirted _!_ he realized. His face heated up immensely. Meanwhile, Dawn was raising an eyebrow. "Okay...maybe a little-" The Coordinator gave an all-knowing smirk. "A lot, but we were just goofing around. It...it didn't mean anything."

Dawn was obviously not buying it. "Maybe from him," she unknowingly lied, "but you are-"

"No, no, absolutely not, nuh uh, not like that, nope!" Haley interrupted.

"Right, let's talk about how absolutely positive you are of  _totally_ not being into him on our way to the bleachers," Dawn joked. Haley's face was as red as her skirt as the younger female led her to the seats.

Before Paul got his chance to know her answer.

Was it so hard to get an answer?! It was a simple yes or no! ...Preferably yes, but that was a whole other issue. "Haley, do you happen to like Paul Shinji Zuckerman?" he asked, trying to replicate Dawn's high-pitched voice.

"Why yes, absolutely!" he answered, mimicking Haley's voice as best he could.

"Really? What do you like about him?"

"Well, he's charming, clever, smart, good at battling, handsome and- oh God I'm stroking my ego like a fucking narcissist," he sighed. Bright side, at least no one was around.

"Come on, Pikachu, the match starts in two minutes!"

 _Shit, that's right!_ Paul ran off.  _Think about the match, think about the match, nothing but the match._ He got to the bay way ahead of his rival and slowed to a walk. He took three deep breaths to calm himself and began to walk to his balloon. "Alright, everyone!" Rhonda's voice once again ringing over the speakers. "We're coming down to the final round!" Paul's attention was diverted when he heard footsteps. No doubts on whom they belonged to, and he turned just in time to see Ash run down the stairs, Pikachu on his shoulder. The Trainer stopped to stare down the older boy with eyes of determination.

"Paul, let's do this," Ash stated fiercely. Pikachu agreed, and Paul answered with a hard glare before getting into his balloon. Ash did the same thing, and both boys began to work tuning up their rides. "By the way, that wouldn't have happened to have been you muttering in the hallway, would it?" Paul's hands slipped, as did his feet, and he ended up hitting his head against the edge of the basket and falling to the bottom of it. "Ah, Paul, are you okay?!" His response was to jump back to his feet with angry eyes, a scowl, and a prominent middle finger. "Well that's not very nice. I'm trying to see if you're okay."

"You're the one who wants to 'do this', right?" Paul shot back, dropping the finger but nothing else. "So how about you shut up and stop asking unimportant, stupid questions." He briefly noticed his rival's own scowl before turning his back on him and going back to work. He could have easily done such a thing facing the way he once was, but he sincerely had enough of the younger Trainer, especially since he had almost caught (and apparently slightly heard) him trying to imitate two girls by himself in the hallway. Paul scolded himself for doing something so stupid, and even though he wanted to stop thinking about it, he couldn't.

...He tried to imitate two girls by himself in the hallway.

The realization hit him, and he almost stopped what he was doing but managed to keep his hands moving. What he had done...that was something he would do when he was little, maybe even before Reggie's last battle. Maybe...maybe his old self wasn't as lost as he thought.

He couldn't help but smile to that.

But then the hatch opened and his smile dropped back to the usual impassive look. That was right, he had a battle to win.

Nothing was going to keep him from that goal.

...

Who the fuck said Paul would win?

Cause the exact opposite happened.

 _Luck!_ Paul shouted.  _Fucking luck! Of course his God damn Staravia evolved! I blame Lady Luck!_ And whether he cursed his own bad luck or Ash's constant good luck was the real mystery, but it didn't really matter in the end. He felt the basket touch the ground and hopped out, with Honchkrow already waiting for him. "We didn't win because your reaction time was too slow," he scolded. Honchkrow dipped his head and sighed...sadly? Paul couldn't help but be curious. The Big Boss Pokémon had never really taken any of his words to heart, or even if he did he never showed it. So why the change in-

"Hey Paul," Haley suddenly piped up. He finally noticed she was there, smiling. He didn't know how long she had been there, but her next statement gave him a good guess. "How about, from now on, you try giving constructive criticism, or at the very least one positive thing." She knelt down to Honchkrow's eye level and smiled bigger. "For example, I think Honchkrow should be praised for out speeding Charizard. That's not exactly an easy thing to do. And the stamina you had even after being assaulted by Staraptor's Close Combat goes to show you have determination. I think you did an excellent job."

Honchkrow gave off a tiny smile. "Thanks, Haley," he replied.

Paul should have known. "Haley, you're making my Pokémon soft," he warned. Why else would his usually ruthless Pokémon give off such an expression?

"Yeah, yeah," she responded with a smile. She stood up. "So let's get going, Heart of Ice."

He rolled his eyes and returned his Flying type. Putting the Poké Ball back in his belt, he began to walk to the stairs with Haley following behind him. Ash, who had just finished congratulating his victorious Pokémon, looked at the duo. Paul gave him one last glance before leaving. "We're going to the Pokémon Center," he decided halfway through their climb.

"Sounds good to me," Haley agreed.

The male Trainer looked back at her curiously. "You don't want to stay for the closing ceremony?" he asked. He didn't want to (he never did) but he expected her to stay and watch. All she did was shrug, and he turned his head back. "Whatever," he huffed.

So they went to the red-roofed building and waited for their Flying types to be healed. Once they were back in their possession, Paul was about to leave when Haley walked over to the videophone. He wondered why.

Then he remembered.

He gulped and hesitantly walked to her side.

Haley had already dialed and was waiting for someone to pick up. One of her family members finally did, and Paul was met with a new face: a boy with amber eyes and a green mohawk, with the hair on both sides being buzzed and a little bit of his hair down to his neck. He had two studs pierced to his right ear and wore a teal tank and a skull-and-crossbones necklace. Paul couldn't help but be disgusted yet slightly curious. "Oh, hey Sis," the boy responded nonchalantly.

"Wait,  _that's_ your younger brother?" Paul questioned.

Austin rolled his eyes. "You sure know how to pick your friends," he remarked.

"At least mine aren't obnoxious," Haley retorted, causing the eleven-year-old to roll his eyes again and lean the chair back like a punk. "Where's Ray?"

"Cowering from the ugly sea witch's cruel and unusual punishment," Austin informed with a slight smirk.

"Austin, go jump up your own ass and die," his sister replied. "Besides, he knew what was coming." Paul was now extremely nervous for his own safety.

The youngest Sedai chuckled. "I'll get him." He got up out of the chair and strolled off, leaving the screen empty for a few moments before their older brother timidly took his place. He opened his mouth.

"Ray?" Haley interrupted. He stopped. Then she held up the Poké Ball. "Charizard needs more exercise."

Paul didn't know what that meant, but Ray clearly did, because he visibly gulped and began to tremble. "H-Haley, now listen," he began in a shaky voice, "this-this wasn't my idea. Paul w-was the one who suggested this."

He should have seen the act of Ray throwing him under the bus coming, but Paul was still a little peeved. "But you agreed to it and decided not to tell me," his sister argued calmly. "So, like I said, Charizard needs more exercise."

Ray gulped again and with a very shaky hand set Staraptor's Poké Ball onto the transporter. Haley put her Poké Ball down as well, and the two were switched. With much reluctance Ray reached for her bodyguard-like Pokémon's Poké Ball, and as soon as he grabbed it the device opened up. Charizard snarled at the older Trainer, and Ray's entire being went white. "W-wait, Flare, buddy, now hold on-" The Pokémon roared, and Ray took off, with Charizard following after him. There was laughter off screen, and then Austin appeared, still laughing.

"See HAHAHA see you pfft later!" And her younger brother ended the call.

Haley put her Poké Ball in her belt and began to walk off. "Come on, let's get going."

Paul feared whatever would happen to him but decided to follow her anyway. They began walking towards the edge of town, with the sun setting, only stopping when they heard someone shout, "Hey Paul!" They stopped and turned to Ash and his friends running up to them, including his newly evolved Staraptor. "What do you think?" Ash continued. "Don't you think it's great? The Starly you didn't care for evolved into a Staravia and now into a powerful Staraptor!" It was clear he was eagerly waiting for a response, and after a pause, Paul gave him one.

"…It sure took you long enough." Then he began to walk away, with Haley giving one last apologetic look before going after him. They heard Ash yell after him but Paul only continued to ignore him. Soon the yelling ceased and they faintly heard footsteps retreating.  _Silence, finally,_ Paul sighed mentally. The duo walked a little more until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned.

"Boo."

Somewhere across town, Ash and his friends were walking to the Pokémon Center when they heard a very long shriek. They turned towards the sound, which they surprisingly realized came from the same direction they had come from. Not to mention the voice sounded  _veeeerrrry_ familiar. "Paul?" Ash guessed.

"That's impossible," Dawn countered. "Why would Paul ever shriek?"

The black haired boy thought about it. "True," he agreed. Then he chuckled. "Paul shrieking, that would be hilarious." Pikachu agreed.

"Ash, what if he were afraid of something?" Brock pointed out.

His long time friend laughed a little harder. "Paul, afraid? You're dreaming, Brock."

Paul wished he were.

Haley was currently wearing a mask of a rotting zombie Teddiursa that had the Little Bear Pokémon looking like it wanted to eat something. And Paul was  _terrified_. "H-Haley, p-please, take it o-off!" he pleaded.

"Aw, but Freddy only wants to say hi," she told him.

He didn't like Freddy all that much.

"Please, Haley, I'm sorry!" he cried. "I promise I won't do it again, just take it off!"

"But isn't that what you were saying you would do when we were walking here?" she reminded, taking a step towards him. Not wanting to be any closer to the mask, Paul took a step back, but didn't notice the small rock half buried into the ground. He ended up on his behind, and he looked up to see Haley leaning down, the horrifying mask in his face. "And somehow I have the feeling it will happen again," she stated, the mask's mouth not moving. "So why should I take it off for empty promises?"

Forget the endless shopping;  _this_ was his true punishment.

"I'll do anything you want!" he promised.

" _Any_ thing?"

"ANYTHING!" At this point Paul was seriously about to get on his knees and beg. Fuck his dignity, anything to get that creepy mask off her face.

He was seriously thinking of confessing to her.

Oh no, not his crush. His last name. His  _last name_. He was that desperate.

After far too long of Haley thinking about her answer, she finally spoke up. "Stand." He did with no hesitance. Then, quick as a flash, she had something on him, and with confusion he felt his head. There was a beanie there now, and then he looked at his hands.

"Black gloves," he noticed with distaste. "You've got to be kidding me." Then he felt her tap his shoulder and he (stupidly) looked up and went white.

"Wear them with no complaining," she instructed, still wearing the fucking mask.

"Yes ma'am!" he complied, and  _finally_ she took off the mask, wearing a super sweet, innocent grin.

"Good!" Haley exclaimed in an excited tone. She put the mask into her backpack and began to happily walk out of town. "Come on, Snowpoint City isn't coming to us!" Paul watched her go and sighed in relief.

Ugly, not even close.

An undersea witch, absolutely.

Well...at least stood at the edge of the basket.


	29. A Winter Wonderland Indeed

_Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?_

It wasn't close to December.

_In the lane, snow is glistening._

She was behind by a few months.

_A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight,_

_Walking in a Winter Wonder-_

"Haley, just shut up for five minutes, thank you," Paul huffed, his breath showing in the frosty air.

She responded by puffing up her cheeks and stuffing her mittened hands into the pocket of her white sweater. "Well sorry I want to enjoy my trek towards Snowpoint," she countered. "It's snowing! Excuse me if  _Winter Wonderland_ is the first thing I think of!"

Paul knew she had a point. He couldn't help but think of that song either. "It's just...I need silence," he stated. "I need to think."

Haley looked at him, and he noticed the specks of snow that covered her hair not protected by her red hat. "What are you thinking about?" she inquired.

"I just...I have this feeling something bad is going to happen," he admitted.

"Like what?"

He listened to her red boots walk through the soft frozen water. "...I don't know," he replied.

"You don't know?" He shook his head. "Do you have a general idea?"

The purple haired Trainer looked at her and, without thinking, reached out and grabbed her hand. They stopped, allowing him to grab her other hand. "I think..." he began softly, "I think it might be about you."

Haley looked at him curiously, and then she smiled warmly. "There's no reason to be," she assured him. Paul wanted to agree, but something in the back of his mind made him unable to. She then pressed her body up to his and laid her head on his shoulder. Normally Paul would marvel at this, but instead he put one hand on her back and the other on the back of her head, then he hugged her tightly, as if it would save her from the unknown harm. "What's got you so worried about me?"

"I don't know," he repeated.

She met his eyes. "Would it make you feel better I stayed by your side like this?"

"...Yeah." His friend smiled bigger, and the two proceeded to walk again.

"You know, we should probably find some shelter."

"Hmm."

"Preferably a Pokémon Center, but we should take what we can get." Paul nodded. It wasn't close to dusk but it was best to find one sooner rather than later, especially since the light snow looked like it might have been close to getting worse. They walked for about 30 minutes, maybe even more, before Haley saw something. "Hey, look, I think that's a building!" she exclaimed, pointing to something in the distance. The snow, by this point, had gotten worse, and it was hard to make out the gray, faded object. "Come on, let's-" Haley was stopped from taking off, and she looked back to see Paul's worried face. She smiled in assurance. "Don't worry, Paul, I still have your hand."

That didn't necessarily convince him, but he nodded anyway. They walked again, Haley taking the lead, until Paul heard something, like the sound of stampeding. He turned his head and found a pack of Snorunt heading straight for them. Without saying anything he began to pull Haley so he could try and get them out of the pathway, and while he was successful, he was just a bit too slow to lead Haley to safety as well. Paul felt her hand be yanked out of his as she was (accidentally or on purpose was unknown) taken away by the Snorunt.

"Haley!" This shouldn't have been as serious as her being carried away like this. They were only 2'4"! Still, Paul felt the cause for alarm, and he tried running after them on the clear trail they had made. But it proved to be fruitless; the falling snow was replacing the trail too quickly and the Snorunt could maneuver better on snow than Paul could.

And as quickly as they had come, they were gone, with an extra in tow.

"Haley!" he shouted again, but the snow ate up the sound, and soon the light blizzard became too cold for him to ignore. He wrapped his arms around himself in hopes of keeping his heat and began to trudge towards the object that was getting bigger but also harder to see. He felt horrible for not searching for Haley, but if he slumped over dead in the snow it wouldn't benefit either of them.

He just had to wait for the storm to stop and pray to Arceus that she was still alive.

Paul was so absorbed in his thoughts and so focused on getting to the object that he didn't notice something else in front of him. He tripped over whatever was buried in the snow and landed face first. He quickly picked himself up and turned his head to find out what exactly he had tripped over. Well, whatever it was, it was wearing a blue hoodie and had light brown hair...

Wait, he had seen that hoodie before, and the hair looked so familiar...

His eyes widened.  _Chase?!_ He scrambled over to the fallen boy and dug him out of the snow. Chase's face was pale, and his lips and ears were blue.  _Moderate hypothermia,_ Paul deduced, and figured that his fingers and toes were the disgusting shade of blue as well. If Paul didn't do something soon, the teen would probably die from the cold.

And as much as he probably deserved such a fate...

Paul couldn't bring himself to let Chase suffer as such.

He refused to slip to the level of the bully lying before him...or maybe it would have been worse. So with that in mind he hoisted the violently shivering sixteen-year-old onto his back and continued his trek towards the distant object. "J-J-J-Jason?" Chase mumbled out, sounding slightly confused and through chattering teeth. Paul decided to ignore him. He was probably confused due to his current condition. "D-d-d-don't take m-m-m-me back, p-p-p-please."

 _Take him back?_ Paul repeated. He realized he had absolutely no idea as to why Chase was out here on Route 217 in the first place. Now it seemed as if he was alone, and more importantly that he had run away. But why? And why  _was_ he alone? Well, whether these were questions that would get answered later or were ones that would just be left unexplained, that still didn't change their destination. And now that Paul was even closer, he realized the object was a two-story house. He trudged up to the front door and kicked the door to knock, seeing as both of his hands were occupied.

"Hello?" he called out over the wind and snow. But there was no response, and Paul couldn't wait much longer. Holding onto Chase as best he could with one hand, he used the other to try the doorknob. Surprisingly, it was unlocked, and Paul hoped whoever owned the house wouldn't mind. As he stepped inside he took a brief moment to think of who would even have a house on this dangerous route, but then thought how fortunate this was and how he shouldn't question it. He closed the door with his foot and then awkwardly flicked the light switch.

The lights surprisingly yet gratefully worked, and Paul was even more grateful to be greeted with a stove, refrigerator, a four person table, a sofa with a blanket draped over, and (most importantly) a fireplace with useable wood in a pile next to it. Now he felt even worse for using someone's useable items, but he  _had_ to get Chase back to at least somewhat decent health. He wiped his feet on the welcome mat and walked over to the fireplace. He set Chase down in front, striped him of his hoodie, pants, sock and shoes, and immediately placed the blanket around him. After hanging his clothes up by the fire, Paul sat behind him and began to rub his arms then released his Magmar.

"Place three logs on the fire and use a light Flamethrower to start a fire," he instructed. His Pokémon nodded and began to do as his Trainer said. The fire started up, and Paul moved the still out-of-it Chase closer. Then Paul sighed and took off his jacket, beanie, and gloves then proceeded to put them on the other male.

"Don't take me back..." Chase muttered, sounding as if he was asleep, while Paul went back to rubbing his arms.

"Jason's not here," Paul stated as he noticed the tips of Chase's ears slowly go back to their slightly tan color.

Chase jumped, though his movements were slightly sluggish and his limbs sort of flailed, as if he were a wet noodle. "P-Paul?" he questioned, but whether the slight stutter was from his condition or from fear was unknown.  _It's probably the former, though,_ Paul thought.

Paul raised an eyebrow to the bully using his actual name rather than the stupid pet name but figured it the least of his concerns. "Yeah," he responded. "You should be grateful, though I highly doubt you are." He stood up. "I'm going to see if I can find something warm for you to eat. Magmar, watch over the fire and  _keep an eye on him_." Magmar nodded, taking special note of how he stressed the last five words. "Don't let him fall asleep, either. That could spell trouble." His Fire type nodded once more, and Paul went to raid the kitchen, once again feeling bad for doing so.

He searched the cabinets, surprised to find spices and herbs and even a few plates, but nothing that could be of use. He reached the final cabinet and to his good fortune finally found something he needed: noodles. He took the package off the shelf and then prayed there was a pot for him to cook them in. Good luck seemed to be striking him in this house as he found the cookware, along with a ladle and even two bowls and some chopsticks. Paul made the dish, and after scooping most of it into one bowl, he gave himself some and then went to deliver the fuller bowl to the boy by the fireplace. Chase just stared at the bowl sitting in front of him.

"...I hate noodles," he grumbled.

Paul was absolutely glad that his bowl was on the counter and that the other one was on the floor, because he was pretty sure he would have thrown one of them down in anger. Normally, the only thing that would happen in a situation like this is he would get slightly annoyed, but with Chase...the guy was already on a thin rope.

"Way to show appreciation!" he shouted, and Chase's head turned quickly to meet his angry black eyes. "You want to know where you would be without me? Dead! Truthfully, I should have probably left you out there, but unlike you and the rest of your Sunshine Gang, I don't try to kill off people! Because, guess what, I'm thinking that's exactly what you guys would do thinking it's some sort of joke! Like there's supposed to be some grand punch line to someone  _dying_!" He glared. "And guess what else? You have hypothermia! Slightly moderate, from the looks of you. You're lucky I found you when I did; any farther and there would be a hot bottle of water between your legs, and I can guarantee you wouldn't be in your boxers." Chase's eyes widened, as if Paul was the one joking. But, unfortunately, he wasn't. Moderate hypothermia required the affected person to have hot water bottles under their armpits and on their groin, and stripping his childhood bully bare was not something anywhere on his To Do list. "Now I don't care if you don't like noodles. You will eat it, unless you feel like dying."

He felt the affected teen stare at the back of his head as Paul grabbed his own bowl and began to eat, purposefully choosing one of the chairs that had it so his back was to Chase. After a few seconds, he heard the boy by the fireplace slurping his noodles.  _Finally,_ Paul huffed. They ate in silence, with the only thing making any significant noise (beside the blizzard outside) was the fireplace crackling. "Is there any hot chocolate?" Chase suddenly asked in a quiet voice.

Paul huffed. "Do I look like I know?" he replied with an edge. Still, curious himself and slightly craving it, he got up and went searching for something. Once again, luck decided to smile upon him as he found multiple packs of chocolate powder and, after opening the fridge, a gallon of milk. He was honestly surprised this was all here. Either someone lived here like he kept suspecting or this was a safe house of some sort. Whatever it was, he was most certainly thankful it existed, and he went to make two things of hot chocolate. In a matter of minutes, they were ready, and Paul gave the liquid to the recovering teen. "There," he stated curtly. With that he returned to his seat and calmly sipped his drink, staring out the window. He gripped his mug a little tighter.  _Haley, please be all right,_ he pleaded. He hoped the Snorunt hadn't just ditched her in the middle of the snow or weren't tormenting her or...something,  _anything_ , that would put her in harm's way. He sighed as he set the finished mug on the table.

"So, where's your fri-"

"None of your fucking business!" Paul snapped, interrupting the obvious question. He abruptly stood up and spun around. He then made his way to the stairs, obviously angry, and then released Ursaring when he reached the first step. The Hibernate Pokémon stretched, and then he noticed Chase. He immediately growled. "Ursaring, you and Magmar are watching over him, understand?" Judging from his glare and snarl, he was already thinking of doing so. Magmar, meanwhile, seemed confused, so Ursaring quickly growled a simple version of why Chase needed eyes on him. Now the Spitfire Pokémon developed his own glare, and Chase seemed to shrink. "Doesn't feel great being on the other side, does it?" Paul asked hauntingly before walking up the stairs. He noticed five rooms occupied the top floor, one of which was a bathroom. A hot shower sounded nice, but going to bed sounded even better. So with a sigh, Paul chose a random room and threw his bag on the floor. His shoes and socks soon followed, and after getting into the plaid pajama pants Haley had also bought him in Squallville, he collapsed face first onto the bed. He heard one of his Pokémon release itself from its Poké Ball, but he didn't know who and frankly he didn't care enough to lift his head and find out.

"Elec, Electa."

Electabuzz. Paul turned his head to find his Electric type with a look of concern on his face.

He knew.

He knew Haley wasn't there.

"What if she's gone forever?" Paul whispered to him. Electabuzz's face dropped, and he watched as his Trainer silently cried himself to sleep.

...

 _Ugh, where am I? And...why does it feel like I've been hit by a semi-truck?_ "Ah-ah-ahchoo!"  _Uuuggghhh, I feel awful. At least I'm warm. This blanket is nice. At least...I_ hope _it's a blanket._ His eyes - shut closed with heavy sleep - slowly opened, finding that the fire in the fireplace was only on hot coals now. He let out a big yawn and, with heavy limbs, sat up. He rubbed his eye, and found that it felt like material rather than skin. He looked at his hands to find he was wearing black gloves. And then he noticed his arms. His eyes widened.  _P-Paul's jacket? What, why..._ Half of the day before was such a foggy mess that he couldn't remember why he was wearing the younger boy's jacket. Then he scanned the room and laid eyes on a sleeping Ursaring and Magmar.

Chase suddenly began to remember bits and pieces.

And one of them was how Paul ordered them to keep him under lock and key.

He sighed and crawled up onto the couch, hugging his knees to his chest and keeping the blanket draped over him. Of course Paul would be cautious of him, even when he was recovering from hypothermia. Why shouldn't he be? Chase recalled how the fifteen-year-old had yelled at him when he stated his opinion of not liking noodles. He realized Paul had a point.

Well...for almost everything.

Footsteps coming down the stairs made his ears perk. He turned his head to find Paul coming down with his Electabuzz following right behind him. He got halfway down before he looked down and let out a long, annoyed sigh. "Electabuzz, wake them up," he instructed. His Electric type nodded and fired off a purposefully weak Thunder. The shock zapped the two Pokémon out of their sleep. They looked up and glared, but their Trainer just glared right back. "Magmar, get the fire started up again, and then you'll get some rest." Magmar rolled his eyes but went to put new wood on the fire. Ursaring gave the look of asking to take a rest as well. "You're on watch with Lairon." The Normal type grumbled, but sat down and obeyed. By that time his Fire type had done what he had been ordered, so Paul returned him. The Trainer finally noticed Chase, and he scoffed. "You look pathetic," he noted as he released the Iron Armor Pokémon.

Chase had the sudden urge to punch him for using that word, but there wasn't much he could do when it had been a struggle to climb onto the furniture. "Sorry I'm still in recovery," he muttered sarcastically.

"You're the idiot who fell in the snow," Paul spat as he finished walking down the stairs.

"Yeah, that was my  _absolute_ intention," Chase shot back.

"If I didn't know better, I'd would say this is all some sort of trap," the fifteen-year-old stated. "But apparently, you're all alone." He searched for something for breakfast. "So I have to scratch that idea off the list."

 _How does he know I'm alone?_ Chase questioned. He thought as he watched the purple haired male find a box of cereal. Then he remembered he had confused Paul for Jason, and probably in his confused state said something that made Paul suspect such a thing. "You know, everything I do isn't an attack on you," Chase sighed. Suddenly the collar of the jacket he was wearing was in Paul's fist, Chase was lifted up, and he was met with his angry black eyes.

"Could have fooled me," he growled. "If you seriously take me for an idiot, think again. I know better than to trust even one single word that comes out of your mouth. You know what I say to your statement? Bullshit."

"If that's true, then why are you positive I'm alone?"

"Because unless your friends are really stupid enough to stay out in the blizzard, they aren't here. Trust me, I checked  _every_ room and  _every_ hiding spot." He scowled. "I'm not letting my guard down around you for even a second."

Chase should have known better. This whole conversation was pointless; he pretty much knew every word Paul was going to say, and he had been right. He sighed again. "Look, Paul-"

"Stop calling me by my real name!" Paul shouted. He threw Chase back onto the couch. "I don't know what you're trying to pull by suddenly using it, but whatever it is, it won't work!"

"Paul, I just-"

"I said stop!"

"Listen-"

"To what? More bullshit? No thanks!"

With that, he was past his limit. "WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?!" he bellowed, only to realize how bad of an idea that was as he went into a horrible coughing fit afterwards.

Paul walked away and got him a glass of water. "Idiot," he muttered.

Chase glared and drank the water. "Well,  _maybe_ if you just let me talk," he pointed out.

"Fine, whatever," Paul sighed. "If it makes you not do something stupid again."

Again he glared but Paul seemed to not be wavered by it anymore. And that just made him feel... "Look, I just..." He looked at the kitchen. "I just want to make amends."

It went silent. "Like hell you do," Paul objected bitterly.

"I'm serious," Chase replied.

"Like hell you are!"

Chase was so sick of this, but at the same time he knew all of this would happen. "I am." He met Paul's eyes with a serious look in his own blue ones. "You weren't the only one bullied, you know."

"By who? Our invisible friend Zeek? I don't know who you're trying to fool, but it won't be me!"

The sixteen-year-old didn't change his look. "Do you want to know why?" he asked, as if Paul hadn't said anything.

Paul rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll humor you," he gave in. "Why were you bullied?"

It was obvious from his tone he didn't believe him. But Chase knew once he revealed why, Paul would believe him, even if he would be disgusted. Taking a breath and gathering up his courage, he mustered the energy to jump off the couch, wrap his arms around Paul's neck...

...and kissed him.

...

What the fuck?!

_What the fuck?!_

_WHAT THE FUCK?!_

Paul was so utterly confused he couldn't bring himself to pull away. Not that this was good (nor was it absolutely terrible, but that was beside the point), but he was just so...just...

**_WHAT THE FUCK?!_ **

Finally snapping back to his senses, he was about to shove Chase back onto the couch when the brown haired boy pulled away himself and then rest his head on Paul's shoulder. Once again, he found himself unable to do anything. "Wh-what just-"

"I'm gay," Chase revealed quietly and sounding almost...ashamed. Paul didn't quite know why Chase should feel ashamed of such a thing, but now he knew why he was bullied...by whoever could possibly worse than Chase and his gang. Veilstone City was anti-gay,  _very_ anti-gay; one wrong step, and you were either the laughing stalk or chased out of the city. He saw it happen once, when he was seven, to a poor woman who was bisexual. And now he understood why Chase had left Veilstone City...sort of. Because either he was chased out...

Or he was just speeding along the inevitable.

"And I bet you're wondering why I revealed it the way I did," Chase continued. To be honest, it was a small part of what he was thinking, but Paul was thinking about it nevertheless. "I...I like you."

Paul let that sink in. This would be the best time to absolutely throw him on the couch, maybe even against a wall, but all he could actually do was ball up his hands. "Stop lying to me," he hissed.

"I wish I was," Chase replied. Then Paul felt Chase's head bob. "I wish I was," he repeated. "That would make things so much easier, right?" Paul dared to look, and blue eyes met black, which widened at the sight.

Chase was  _crying_.

"I wouldn't have to feel heartbreak for having feelings for a guy who will never like me back for more reasons than one," he stated with a sad grin and tears running down his face.

Instantly, Paul knew he wasn't lying.

The boy was an actor, said to be one of the best in school (not that Paul  _went_ to school, but he still heard about it). But if there was one thing Chase couldn't do, it was fake cry. Paul had seen it; they once tried to get sympathy out of him by Chase crying over some fake sob story. But even his naïve five-year-old self had seen right through the act. So for him to actually be crying...this was no act. But that only made Paul angrier with him. "If you liked me so much, then why were you apart of everything?" he snapped.

Chase slipped off him and back onto the couch, still crying. "Blackmail," he whispered. He looked up at Paul. "Do you remember the first day we met?"

Paul scoffed. "How is the memory of you and Jason pummeling me to a pulp suppose to help prove any of this?" he spat.

But Chase didn't look defeated - well, any more so than he already did. Instead, he chuckled. "I knew you had forgotten," he said.

"I just said-"

"Remember, Paul?" Chase interrupted. "We met the day after you arrived in Veilstone, by Crystal Pond." Paul looked like he was trying to search Chase for any trace of a joke.

Then he remembered.

And he wondered why he had ever forgotten.

XXX

Reggie had told him to go out and explore the city. But Paul didn't feel like doing it on his own. He wanted to explore all of the large skyscrapers and the streets that lined them with his older brother. So instead the four-year-old decided to go along the outskirts and see what the hills had to offer. Eventually Paul found a pond, one that was a clear crystal blue and reflected the sun and clouds like a brand new mirror. Fascinated - especially since it was the smallest body of water he had seen - he walked to the edge and stared at his reflection. Wanting to know how it felt, he stuck his hand in. Paul yelped and sprang back, landing on his back. He heard laughter, and he tilted his head to see a brown hair boy standing upside down (at least, from his point of view) and chuckling. "I was going to tell you the water gets especially cold this time of year, but you were too quick," the boy stated.

Paul pouted. "You could have shouted," he replied.

The boy laughed again and walked over to Paul's side. He held out a hand and smiled. "My name's Chase Weiss," he introduced. "What's yours?"

Looking at the hand, Paul smiled and grabbed it. "Paul Shinji," he introduced as he was helped up.

"Nice to meet you, Paul," Chase said. "So, are you new here?"

"Yep!" Paul exclaimed. "My big brother and I just moved here yesterday from LaRousse City."

"Whoa, that's all the way in the Hoenn region!" Chase pointed out. "You two traveled far." Paul nodded. "So, why did you two come to a far less advanced place like Veilstone?"

"It's not that less advanced," Paul argued.

Chase chuckled. "I don't see any moving walkways," he countered.

Paul laughed. "Okay, okay," he responded. "We just wanted a change of...sc-nor-y...that's how it's said, right?"

The native laughed. "Kind of," he stated. "S-c-e-n-e-r-y. See-ner-e." Paul smiled. "How old are you?"

The purple haired boy counted on his fingers, and then held up four of them. "This many!" he answered.

"You're four?" Chase smiled. "I'm one year older than you." He held up all five fingers on his right hand.

Paul looked at them in wonder and then counted. "Five?" Chase nodded, and the younger boy beamed. "Yay! Someone who's around my age!"

Chase laughed again. "What about in LaRousse City?" he asked.

"They never came to the house if there were any," Paul explained sadly. "But, it wasn't all too bad. My big brother was always there, so I never felt lonely."

"Lucky," Chase muttered. "My older sister doesn't care for me."

"I-I'm sure that's not true!" Paul argued. "Siblings always care for each other!"

The older boy couldn't help but smile. "Maybe you're right," he agreed.

The two boys spent the rest of the day talking to each other. Soon the sun was getting close to setting. "I have to get home," Paul revealed.

"Okay, so do I." Both of the boys stood up. "I have school tomorrow, but maybe the day after that we can hang out again."

Paul grinned. "Yeah!"

"Friends?" Chase asked.

XXX

And Paul remembered agreeing, and they shook on it. He didn't know if he should have been angry this time; for all he knew, Chase would tell him why he had broken his promise. "So...why?" he asked.

Chase wiped away new forming tears. "I knew from a young age I was different," he explained, "and I had told Jason my secret, thinking he was actually a good friend and would _keep_ it a secret." He chuckled sadly. "He did...for a price. When I told him about you at school, he didn't think about making you a friend like I did. He even told me what he thought of you, and with an evil grin to boot." Chase sighed. "Fresh meat. I talked back to him, saying that we should be friends, not bullies. But...but then Jason blackmailed me, saying he would reveal my secret if I didn't comply with his idea."

All Paul could do was dart his eyes around the floor as he thought about what Chase had explained and for a response to it all. "So the bully...is Jason?" he realized.

The boy nodded. "He's your real enemy," Chase stated. "The rest of us are puppets to his will. I'm bound by being gay, Braxton was the nerd no one wanted to be friends with and without Jason is seen as useless, and Zack...poor Zack. He sees Jason like an older brother, and blindly follows everything he says because he doesn't know better. Zack...he's slightly autistic...did you know that?"

No, no he didn't. Paul didn't know any of this. "Then, what happened that day? I feel like I have it all wrong."

"Not entirely," the older teen admitted. "We did beat you, yes, but at first it was just Jason." Chase tensed up. "You...you gave me this pleading look, and I could practically hear you scream for me to do something,  _anything_ , to help you. I wanted to...so badly did I want to, but Jason shot me one glance, and I joined in. And when we left and it was just the two of us, I tried to tell him how we shouldn't be doing anything like that anymore."

XXX

_"You jerk!" I yelled. "He's only four!"_

_"So?"_

_"That's all you have to say?! 'So'?" I couldn't believe how Jason was acting; I had never seen him like that. "You know what, no! I'm going back and apologizing and-" He threw me against the wall and cornered me._

_"You do, and your little secret's going to be all over the city by tomorrow," he threatened. Then he gave me this evil grin. "And maybe I'll say the same about him. What about that? He's new, so he has no reputation to back him up. And it's not like his brother can do anything, either. He's a nobody right now. So I would do as I say, for his sake and your own."_

XXX

"He seriously-"

"Yeah...he really did."

Paul could barely believe this. The only thing that allowed him to do so was Chase's continuous crying. "Then...then what?"

"I was forced to be his right hand man. But I tried to make it better on you. I know that makes it sound like I did shit, but trust me...you'd be dead. Remember how we once shocked you with 20,000 volts?" Paul nodded. "It was going to be with Braxton's Raichu instead. And I think you know how much electricity a Raichu can store."

"100,000 volts," Paul stated in alarm.

"And remember how Zach would scare you into the river and we would immediately pull you out to taunt you?" He nodded again. "Jason wanted to almost drown you. All of the times we told ghost stories? He wanted to reenact The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, right down to the last detail. When we beat you? You were supposed to go to the hospital with broken bones, maybe even some busted organs."

What the fuck was  _wrong_  with this kid? Paul knew he was already screwed up but this...this was all boarder line psycho, maybe even crossing it. Then Paul realized something. "The times when I was cut and whipped...you weren't there," he noted.

"It was the same thing when...wh-when..." If there was any doubt Chase had been lying, there was none now. Even he had trouble talking about that incident. The older boy gulped thickly. "When Jason almost raped you." There was silence, giving Paul enough time to think about the incident and shudder. "My family and I were on vacation, and when we came back, Jason told me about it, complaining that he hadn't accomplished his goal. As if he thought there was going to be some _reward_ for his actions. Oh, there was a reward alright. I fucking  _told. Him. Off._ In exchange I got the shit beaten out of me _,_ but to hell if I cared. He  _knew_ I didn't like even the _thought_ of it, and he never did it again. Well...except that one time when he reminded you of it, but if he even attempted it I was going throw all caution to the wind and take the consequences. Paul I...I really do like you. I know my actions have always said otherwise, but it's true. I felt horrible...I  _feel_ horrible. You weren't supposed to be...whoever you are. And we...we were supposed to be friends. I knew from the start you probably weren't gay, but at least we could have been friends."

All Paul could do was stare. "I don't...I don't know-"

"It's okay," Chase interrupted. "You don't have to say anything. I'm...actually surprised you haven't called bullshit once."

"You're crying."

Chase gave him a confused look. "What?"

"You're crying," Paul repeated. "You can't fake cry, it's impossible for you. So that means you can only be telling the truth."

He gave Paul a strange look before chuckling slightly. "Guess you're right," he stated. "But...I guess my whole point is...that's why I'm not in Veilstone anymore. I...I ran away." His hands balled into fists. "I'm just so sick of being treated like an outcast in my own home. I'm so sick of being afraid of Jason. I'm so sick of hiding who I am. I'm sick...of not being friends with you." His eyes darted to the floor. "Or, at the very least, acquaintances." He sighed. "That's why I'm heading to Snowpoint. My grandmother lives there, and my family treats her like an outcast, too. I honestly don't know why, and in all reality it's not as bad as me, but she's the only person in my family willing to accept me for who I am, and she'll keep a secret, too. You had a right to call me an idiot, you know. I...tripped, and for whatever reason I didn't feel like getting up. Maybe I wanted to die and have everything over with...I really don't know. What I do know is," he looked at Paul and gave a tiny smile, "I really am grateful for you saving me."

Paul didn't know what to say. "...You're welcome," he finally responded.

Chase looked just a tad brighter. "Well, I was hoping we could get reacquainted, so..." He looked at his right hand, and then he held it out. "My name is Doug Chase Weiss. It's nice to meet you."

Was he seriously doing this? It almost made Paul laugh, but all he did was chuckle slightly and decided to humor him. "Paul Shinji," he reintroduced as he took the hand and shook.

"You don't have a middle name?"

"Shinji  _is_ my middle name."

"Oh...then, what's your last name?"

"You don't get to know that just yet."

"Damn it!" Chase hissed playfully, snapping his fingers. Then the smile that had grown dropped a bit. "...Paul, I really am sorry for everything I did in the past."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Past?" he questioned. "What past? We just met, we have no past."

Chase opened his mouth, then closed it, only to smirk. "You're hilarious," he replied dryly but playfully.

"Sure," Paul stated. "Can I make breakfast now?"

"Please, I'm  _starving_!" Chase stressed.

"Who do I look like, your maid?" Paul inquired, pushing the boy's head playfully. Chase beamed, and Paul realized the blue-eyed teen hadn't looked this happy since the first day the two met. He walked to the kitchen, and at one point he turned around to find Electabuzz and Ursaring with the most shocked expressions ever. Lairon, meanwhile, didn't seem to mind, seeing as it had no idea about any of this. Paul just smirked and then held out Ursaring's Poké Ball. The Normal type blinked, and then sighed, most likely in relief. His Trainer returned him, and went back to making food.

For most of the day, the boys spent it in a comfortable silence. Paul sat in his chair at the table and thought about his battle against Candice. He was pretty sure no matter what combination of Pokémon he used, with his current team, he would sweep her. Electabuzz with Brick Break, Nidoking with Double Kick, Ursaring with Hammer Arm, Hariyama, Magmar, and Lairon. Really, how could he lose to anyone with that team, especially Candice? That girl wouldn't know what hit her. "So, where's your friend?" Chase tried asking again.

This time, Paul wasn't as bitter, so he tore his eyes away from the window and stared at the ceiling with a sigh. "I don't know," he admitted. "She got carried away by a pack of Snorunt."

"Wait, really?"

"Shut up, we got caught off guard," Paul replied. "I don't know where they went, and for all I know they accidentally dumped her into the snow."

"Well, that second point I know as much as you, but I have a general idea on where they went," Chase stated.

Paul fell out of his chair and then scrambled to the front of the couch. "Where, where, where, where, where-"

"Whoa, Eager Bibarel," Chase interrupted his chanting. "I was getting to that. See, when I said I tripped...I actually meant I had been knocked over by them. I saw them go northeast, and I feel like I saw her. I don't know, it's kind of fuzzy. I think I tried going after them and then tripped from a rock or something."

"Northeast, northeast, northeast," Paul chanted quietly as he grabbed his jacket, gloves, and beanie (Chase didn't need them anymore) and ran for the door.

"Paul, are you crazy-" He sounded like he wanted to scold more, but he went into a coughing fit.

The coughing made Paul stop and look through the window. He quickly noticed the storm was still going on, and he sighed in defeat. After hanging his things on the coat rack next to the door, he went to get Chase another glass of water. "Maybe this will teach you to stop shouting," he chastised.

Chase gave off a sly smirk. "And maybe that'll teach you to try throwing yourself into dangerous situation," he replied as he took the glass.

Paul chuckled.

...

The next morning, Paul woke up to find that the storm had finally passed. Filled with energy, he jumped out of the bed he had been borrowing and ran to the coat hanger to grab his things only for a pillow to collide with the back of his head. "Breakfast first," Chase instructed, "or else you'll probably collapse from lack of blood sugar."

He rolled his eyes. " _Yes_ , Reggie," he sighed before picking up the pillow and walking to the kitchen.

Chase laughed. "I am in no way, shape, or form even comparable to your brother," he countered.

"First off, someone's chipper this morning," Paul stated. "Second, in what sense?"

"In every sense!" Chase exclaimed. "The guy is always there for you, he's an amazing cook, and one of the battlers I've seen! And you know I'm a fast healer."

The last comment was unheard by Paul, seeing as he was too busy focusing on Chase's compliments towards his older brother. "Yeah, sure," he muttered.

"Something happen?"

"Well, I don't...I just..." Paul sighed and served breakfast. "I don't like to talk about it."

"I know about the Brave Symbol, you know," Chase pointed out. "You got lucky being in Kanto. That was something Jason wasn't going to let you forget any time soon."

Paul scoffed. "Everyone else does his job without realizing it," he said.

Chase watched as the purple haired boy sat in his chair. He sighed. "Just let it go," he advised. "So he didn't want to be a Trainer anymore, so what?"

"You don't know what he left behind," Paul told him. "And as I said, I don't like to talk about it."

"Oh." There was a silence as they ate. "...Sorry," Chase apologized.

He admitted that it was kind of nice to hear a sincere apology out of Chase but also kind of weird. "No, you didn't know," Paul replied. "I don't tell anyone."

"Even your girlfriend?" Chase received the pillow back. "Hey! I'm still recovering!"

"I remember hearing - and knowing - something about you being a fast healer," Paul stated. "No, she doesn't know and, no, she's not my girlfriend."

"But you  _like_ her."

"Can we just go already?" Chase laughed at the fifteen-year-old's biting tone and quick movements, to which Paul glared but only got more laughter. "I sure do know how to pick my friends," he muttered.

So with jackets, gloves, and a beanie or scarf, the two headed northeast to try and find the Snorunt. The snow had stopped falling entirely but there were still light gray clouds in the sky, so Paul was kind of wary. He would occasionally look up at the sky, expecting the white powder to just rain on his parade...so to speak. "Hey, Paul," Chase brought up as he tugged on the sleeve of his jacket. That made Paul stop with him. "Look." He followed the older teen's finger to the ground and found circle shaped footprints. The Trainer knelt down as he pulled out his dark blue Pokédex and searched for Snorunt. Then he compared the footprints.

"They match," Paul noted. "From my point of view they look fresh. They must have gone looking for food and then went back to wherever they make their home." He stood up and followed the track with his eyes. "Come on, let's go."

Chase watched him go and looked around before finding something else. "Um...Paul?"

"What?" He stopped and turned his head. "We have to go. Who knows how Haley is doing."

"Well...it's just-"

"Just what?"

"I..." Chase shook his head. "Never mind, it could be nothing."

Paul nodded. "Then let's go," he repeated before following the trail again. Chase quickened his pace to catch up with Paul.

They continued to walk for a while until a cave came into view. The footprints led into it, so they figured that was where the Snorunt were. They began to creep towards the cave so that they wouldn't draw the Pokémon out and be attacked for being in their territory. The boys made it to the edge of the entrance and looked inside. They found a group of Snorunts surrounding Haley, who was lying down and had her eyes closed...

And a Froslass floating above her.

Chase almost fell into the snow when someone ran from under him. He turned his head to find Paul kneeling and shaking in the snow. He frowned and went over to the shaking boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Paul, you can do it," he encouraged. Paul shook his head. "That Froslass isn't going to posses you, and you have your Pokémon to help fight her off." Chase got another shake. He had one more idea and squeezed his shoulder. "That girl needs your help. She's unconscious on the floor and is defenseless. You're not. So go help her."

God was Paul scared out of his mind, but he was right. Haley needed help, and he was going to do all he could. So he stood up and, with shaky yet determined steps, he made his way back to the cave with Chase right behind him. The Snorunt and their evolved form turned to find Paul with a scared, angry face. He took out a Poké Ball with a shaky hand. "M-Magmar!" he exclaimed. "S-Stand by for battle!" He released his Fire type, and the group of Ice types grew very defensive. "U-Use Flamethrower!" Magmar fired the stream of fire at the group, which all countered with Hidden Power and fired the green orbs back at it.

"Free, use Protect!" Paul watched in surprise as the Butterfly Pokémon suddenly appeared in front of Magmar and cloaked them both in a green force field. The attacks hit the force field and disappeared, and when they all subsided Butterfree took down the shield. Paul turned his head to look at Chase.

"You use Pokémon?" he questioned.

"Bug types, mostly," Chase answered. "I like bugs. Free was my first." Paul would have made some witty comment if he wasn't focused and scared. "Now, let's get your not girlfriend back." Now he temporarily snapped out of it in order to roll his eyes. "Alright, Free, use Air Cutter!"

"Fire Spin!" Both Pokémon fired their attacks, and this time Froslass took the lead and countered with Water Pulse. The two attacks were stopped, and then the Snow Land Pokémon attacked with Ominous Wind. The two Trainers and their Pokémon held their ground against the black wind.

"Free, counter with Shadow Ball!" The Bug-Flying type formed the black ball of energy and shot it at Froslass. She dodged and fired an Ice Beam.

"Protect Butterfree by using Flamethrower again!" Paul ordered. Magmar got in front of Chase's Pokémon and fired his attack. Of course the Fire type attack began to push back over the ineffective attack, and Froslass quickly realized she was in a losing battle and flew out of the attack's line. The fire zoomed through the cave, and over the roar of it they heard a squeak of surprise. Magmar immediately stopped his attack. "Haley?" The girl, who had covered her head, turned her head and saw Paul. But before she could do anything, the Snorunt and their leader got in front of Haley and glared, obviously in protective stances. Paul didn't quite catch that and thought they were trying to keep him from helping her. "Get out of my way!" he shouted. Froslass talked back to him. "I don't know what you're saying, all I want you to do is get out of my way!" The Snow Land Pokémon glared harder, to which Paul responded with his own. The two glared and growled at each other until Haley slightly pushed them back from each other.

"Froslass, it's okay, he's a friend," she assured. Froslass and her unevolved group seemed to become more relaxed. Then Haley turned to Paul, smiled, and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Paul would usually hug back, but right now... "I'm so confused," he replied.

"Well, when the Snorunt carried me off they accidentally dropped me onto a rock-"

"What?!"

"And I fell unconscious. They didn't realize it for about a minute before Froslass brought me into the cave, and then they nursed me back to health because they felt bad. They're really nice, you know."

He pointed to the spot where she had been lying down. "Then...then why were you lying down?" he questioned.

"Uh...sleeping?"

The Trainer blinked, and then slowly turned his head to Chase. "We are fucking idiots," he stated.

"Agreed," Chase responded.

Suddenly Paul felt Haley's hate radiate off of her. "What are you doing here?!" she demanded.

"H-Hold on, I-" He was interrupted when she stormed up to him menacingly.

"I don't know what sick, twist idea you have to torture Paul, but you won't get away-"

"Wait, please, we can explain!" Butterfree cried, getting in between his Trainer and Haley. The Butterfly Pokémon's presence surprised Haley so much she stopped in her tracks. Butterfree took that chance to begin explaining why Chase was there even though he was pretty sure the female couldn't understand him and would just probably calm her down enough for her to listen to his Trainer. However, just like Dawn's Piplup, Butterfree had not known of Haley's talents and ended up spilling the beans. "Tell her, Chase!" Butterfree concluded, turning to his Trainer.

"Actually, you already did," Haley pointed out.

Their heads snapped to her. "What?" Butterfree replied.

"I can understand Pokémon," she explained. "You already explained everything."

Chase blinked. "Free...how much is 'everything'?" he hesitantly asked.

"Just as it sounds," Haley answered.

"Free!" Chase shrieked. Butterfree shook his head and gave off apologetic eyes, clearly saying he didn't know and that he was sorry.

"Chase, Butterfree didn't know," Haley told him. "Don't get too mad at him. Besides, there's no reason to be afraid. I don't have a problem with it."

He looked back at her. "Really?" he questioned, his voice quiet.

Haley smiled. "I know someone who is gay," she revealed, "and he and I are extremely close friends."

Chase stared at her and then slumped his shoulders. "I still don't see how you could accept someone horrible like me," he stated sadly.

"Because everyone deserves a second chance," she replied. "If you're saying you're trying to change, then I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

The brown haired boy stared at her again and then hugged her tightly. If Paul didn't know his orientation, there was no doubt in his mind he would have been fuming. "Thank you," he barely heard Chase whisper.

Haley nodded. "Now come on, let's go find a Pokémon Center." Chase backed away and nodded as well. Then Haley looked at the clan of Snorunts and smiled. "Bye, guys, thank you for all of your help." The Snorunt shouted in agreement and thanks, but Froslass looked sad. Just as Haley was about to turn, the Snow Land Pokémon flew in front of her.

"Wait!" she cried. "Let me go with you!"

The female Trainer blinked. "Froslass, you have a clan to look after," she pointed out, "and even if you didn't, I just don't have place for you on my team."

Froslass looked even sadder, and then she looked at Paul. He didn't quite like where this was going. "Can I be on  _his_ team?" she asked.

Now Haley actually thought about it, and then she too looked at Paul. He  _really_ didn't like where this was going. "Hey Paul, Froslass wants to be on your team," she relayed. "How about it?"

"No!" Paul exclaimed. "No, no, no! I-I can't-" He stopped in slight fear when Froslass got in his face with pleading eyes.

"Please let me be on the team!" she begged.

He could easily see what she was saying just by her expression and gestures, so he decided to answer. "B-b-b-b-but what about y-y-y-y-your clan? Who's g-g-g-g-going to be t-t-t-t-the leader?"

Froslass looked at him and then at her clan. One Snorunt was waving its hand, obviously wanting to take the role. She nodded and flew back to Haley. "Do you have a Dawn Stone?" she questioned. Haley nodded and dug through her backpack. She brought out the turquoise stone that gleamed like eyes and handed it to the Ice-Ghost type, who then floated over to the unevolved Pokémon and handed it to the other female. Snorunt took it and began to glow, transforming into the 4'3" Pokémon. Now there were two Snow Land Pokémon, and the first one looked at Paul, presented the new leader, and grinned. "Ta da!"

Paul realized his argue was now invalid, and it wasn't like he could be like Haley, saying that he had no place on his team because it was clear he constantly changed up his team. He gulped and was about to shake his head. "Come on, Paul, I think it's a good idea," Chase voiced.

"I agree," Haley stated. "Think about it... _Freddy_."

...Right, right...the hot air balloon. "O-Okay," he finally agreed. "B-But you better be worth it!" Froslass and her former clan cheered, and then Paul brought out an empty Poké Ball. He threw it at Froslass, and the machine opened up, sucking her inside with the red beam. The Poké Ball fell to the ground and shook three times before clicking and claiming the Snow Land Pokémon as his own.

The other two Trainers clapped as Paul picked up his Poké Ball. "Congratulations, Paul!" Haley exclaimed. "You now have a Ghost type!"

"I...guess I do," Paul replied, surprised and slightly proud. Unfortunately, he couldn't bring her out because he already had six Pokémon on his team. "Guess I have to send her to Reggie, though."

"Even more reason to get to a Pokémon Center, right?" Haley piped up. "So, come on, let's go." The three Trainers began to walk out. "Bye everyone, good luck and thanks again!" The clan waved and cried out their goodbyes.

So the group of three walked down Route 217, and Chase explained everything that happened and his reasons in more detail than his Butterfree (who was actually out of his Poké Ball just in case something else popped up) had gone in to. "So, I just..." He sighed. "I know we've only met once, but I feel the need to apologize to you too." Haley nodded, and that was good enough for him. He smiled, and then he looked ahead. "Hey, there's one!" A Pokémon Center was right ahead of them, looking like a large cabin. With a burst of energy, they ran for the building - especially since the now falling snow looked like it might get worse - and entered the building, reveling in the warmth of the place.

"Welcome!" the Nurse Joy greeted. "Would you three like hot chocolate?"

"Sounds good!" Haley and Chase exclaimed. Paul nodded.

With hot chocolate in their hands and food in front of them, they sat on the couch in the lobby and watched the TV for the weather coming up. Nurse Joy called for them to say their Pokémon were all healed. Since she was done with her food and drink, Haley elected herself to go get their Pokémon. Meanwhile, also done with his dinner, Paul decided to send Froslass to his brother. He went over to the videophone and called home. Reggie picked up the phone very quickly, and when he saw his younger brother he smiled. "Hey Paul," he said. "How's it going?"

"I need you to take my Froslass for me," Paul replied. Reggie stared at him with big eyes, and then he walked off screen. "Oh no, not this again." He came back with a glass of water. "Reggie, I swear-" He did a spit-take anyway. "Seriously, stop that!"

"You have a Ghost type!" Reggie pointed out. "I'm just surprised!" Paul huffed and then sent over his newly acquired Pokémon. "Oh, by the way," Reggie continued as he took the Poké Ball, "there's a giant uproar in the city, saying that Chase is gone."

Paul's eyes looked over at Chase, watching some sort of program other than the weather, and then looked back at his brother. "I know," he whispered.

"How?" Reggie asked.

He stared at his brother. "If I tell you, will you promise to keep it a secret?"

Reggie nodded. "I promise," he stated.

"Reggie..."

"Paul, I said I would, so I will."

The younger brother kept up with his hard stare. Finally, it softened up just a tad. "I met up with him," he revealed. "He ran away."

"He ran away?" Reggie repeated with a shocked, concerned face.

His brother nodded. "He's heading up to Snowpoint City. I found him in the snow with slightly moderate hypothermia." Then Paul explained everything that had happened before and after he met up with Chase, knowing he was probably breaking Chase's trust by telling Reggie all of this. But he also felt the need to get all of this off of his chest, and no matter how much he had a grudge against his brother, he was one of two people he could trust with heavy stuff. In fact, when he thought about it, Reggie was the only one who knew pretty much everything about him.

Paul didn't know how to feel about that.

By the end, Reggie had his serious face on, even a slightly angry one. "Well, now I can see why he ran," he said. "And now I see why Jason has been the most upset. That's the second person to do something against him." He frowned. "I suspect we'll be hearing that secret within a few days. Arceus, I hate that kid." Then his face softened and he smiled. "But I'm glad you're giving him a second chance, Paul. That's a big step for you, you know."

"I guess," Paul replied. "I've got to go. Don't tell anyone."

"Right," Reggie agreed. He smiled bigger. "See you later." Then the call ended.

Paul walked away from the videophone and back to the couch to find Chase still watching TV and Haley looking at the falling snow.

_Gone away is the bluebird,_

The boys looked at the back of her head, and Paul knew she was smiling.

_(Here to stay is a new bird)_

Now Paul looked at Chase, who was also smiling. Faced with a losing battle, Paul smirked and slightly chuckled.

_[He sings a love song, as we stroll along]_

**_Walking in a Winter Wonderland._ **

...

Reggie watched the screen go blank and then sighed as he leaned back in the chair. Chase was gay. Who would have known?

Well, there was one person.

Someone knocked at the door, and Reggie stood up. He went to the door and opened it up to find a young woman with dark red hair and a worried look in her sky blue eyes. "Reggie, I need help!" she pleaded.

He really didn't want to do what he was thinking of doing, but he did it anyway: he glared. "Yes, Amber, you do," he stated. "Someone who neglects their brother because he's different clearly needs help."

Amber looked at him with her mouth hung open. "I...I..." Then her mouth closed as she began to shed tears and sunk to her knees, her head in her hands.

Now Reggie felt awful. He wasn't Paul, so insulting someone - especially someone so close to him like Amber - was almost impossible, and if he did manage it he ended up feeling guilty. He sunk to his knees and held onto her shoulders. "Amber-"

"I do need help!" she cried. "I'm a horrible person! I'm a horrible sister! It's all my fault! He's gone and it's all my fault!"

"How is it your fault?" Reggie inquired with concern.

"I-I got angry at him and t-told him he wasn't wanted here!" she revealed, now burying her head into Reggie's chest. "I d-didn't mean to say such a thing, a-and I wish I could take everything back!" Now she was grabbing Reggie's shirt. "H-he didn't deserve treatment like that in our house, and our p-parents say g-good riddance. B-But I miss him, and I want to apologize so badly. I...I want to be a good sibling, like you. I w-want to have the strength to stand up to my parents, l-like you have strength."

Reggie chuckled sadly. "My brother hates my guts," he pointed out. "I'm no example to anyone."

"He'll come around," she whispered, tears still running down. "You're a great brother, and he'll see that again."

"How do you figure that?"

"I just do," she replied.

He smiled and then wiped the tears. "Then I believe you'll get a second chance to prove that you are a good sister," he told her.

Amber looked up at him. "How do you figure that?"

Reggie chuckled. "I just do," he responded. "And I figure you realizing you've made a mistake is a good step."

The 22-year-old woman stared at him intently and then crashed her lips onto his. Reggie responded to his girlfriend's passionate kiss by returning it. They were locked in a kiss - still kneeling on the ground - for a while before they parted, slightly panting. Amber rested her forehead on his. "You know this is why I love you, right?" she stated.

He chuckled again. "Did you know you look beautiful today?" he complimented.

"I'm wearing my sweat jacket, yoga pants, my hair's up in a terrible bun, and my eyes are probably red from crying," she countered.

"You still look beautiful," Reggie restated. He wrapped a lock of the messy hair that she had obviously wanted to put into a braided bun behind her ear. Then he suddenly stood up, picking her up as he did and getting a squeak out of her. "So, do you want to stay for a bit?"

Amber stared at him again and then smiled. "Am I right in thinking it might not be 'a bit'?" she questioned.

Reggie shrugged, but she could see the small, mischievous glint in her boyfriend's eyes. "Maybe," he replied before taking a step inside and closing the door with his foot.

* * *

 

**A/N: Holy shit, a lot happened this chapter! But then again, we are getting close to Snowpoint City, so shit's going to go down. And oh my God, Reggie has a girlfriend that isn't Maylene! Some of you may find her inclusion random, but trust me, she will be important…later. Like, much _much_ later. But she'll still be important, trust me.**

**Next chapter's Snowpoint City, guys. I'm so excited! Time to go load up my favorite episode in the entire anime for the 15th time.**


	30. A Pyramiding Rage

**A/N: Once again, I'm using the title of the episode because IT'S JUST TOO GOOD! *insert _HUGE_ fangirl squeal* I  _love_ this episode to death! Now, I'm actually going to be doing something different. Usually I only use the English episode when quoting the series, but after watching the Japanese dub I'll be using some of those lines as well. Overall I actually think the English version of this episode is better (both in terms of lines and voice acting; who knew  _that_ would be a thing in the anime!) so most lines will come from that.**

**Anyway, here we go!**

* * *

 

By the time the group of three reached the City of Snow the next day, it was getting close to sunset. Chase pointed out the small house close to the entrance of the city. "That's my grandmother's house," he told them. Paul and Haley looked to find a little house with an older woman shoveling the snow out of the pathway. She leaned up, wiping the sweat off her forehead and looked around. When she saw her grandson and the other two coming closer, she beamed and waved.

"Dougie!" she called out as the three came up to the beginning of the pathway.

Chase groaned good naturally at the nickname. "Grandma!" he whined. The old woman laughed and hugged the brown haired boy.

"I'm so glad you finally made it!" she stated. She looked at him. "I have the room all ready for you, and dinner as well." Then she saw the other two teens. "Ah, and are these friends of yours?"

"Kind-"

"Kind of?" Haley questioned before he finished.

He chuckled. "Yes, Grandma," he answered. "This is Paul."

"Oh yes, you've told me about him," the old woman remembered. She walked up to Paul and studied him. "You were right, he is quite the looker."

The two boys blushed, both of them out of embarrassment, while Haley giggled. "W-Well, thank you," Paul replied, not quite sure how else to respond.

Chase blushed an even deeper shade of red. "And who are you?" the woman asked.

"My name is Haley," said girl introduced.

The older female smiled. "I guess I'm pretty lucky to be meeting two of Chase's good friends," she noted. Then she leaned towards Paul. "So tell me, are you and the beautiful lady here dating?"

Now Paul turned his own deep shade of red and then hid his eyes with his hair. "N-No," he revealed. "We're just friends."

Chase's grandmother laughed. "I'm just having fun with you, boy," she told him. "Well, I guess I should introduce myself. Name's Madison. Nice to meet you two." They dipped their heads in greeting. "Would you two like to come inside for dinner?"

"Sorry, but we have to get to the Gym," Paul apologized. "We have to sign up for out battles as soon as possible."

"Come on, Paul, Candice isn't going to have battles this late," Haley pointed out.

"Yeah, but the last thing I want is another Gym Leader canceling on me, and I really want to make sure she and I battle tomorrow," Paul countered.

Haley rolled her eyes with a smile. "Sorry, Madison, but because he dictates so, we have to decline," she replied. Paul huffed.

Madison, however, just laughed it off. "That's okay," she assured. "Good luck, alright?"

"Okay," Paul said. "Thank you." Madison grinned and began to walk to the front door.

"I'll say good luck as well," Chase voiced. "And...um..." He gave Paul a small smile. "Thanks for all of your help." Then, before Paul could do anything, Chase gave him a quick kiss. Paul's stupefied face made Haley burst into laughter.

"Sh-shut up, you," Paul stuttered. "And you, what was that for?"

"Because I probably won't get another chance," Chase answered. "And...I don't think I'm all that ashamed anymore."

Haley smiled. "Good for you," she congratulated. "Good luck to you as well." Chase smiled to her and followed his grandmother. She said something to him that made him groan again, and then they turned their heads and waved. The two teens waved back and began to walk through the city towards the Gym. During the walk, Paul took off his beanie and gloves since he was getting a little warm. "How are you warm? It's still super cold here."

"You're the one walking around Sinnoh in a skirt and t-shirt," Paul pointed out as he put the clothing into his bag. "And don't bring up Troublesome; at least she's lived here."

"I wasn't going to bring up Dawn," Haley replied. "Are you  _sure_ you don't like her?" He flicked her forehead. "Ow! I was joking!" Paul rolled his eyes, and they kept walking.

Thanks to some of the locals, they learned that the Gym was just barely on the outskirts of town. By the time they reached the white-and-green dome, it was sunset, with the skies purple, pink, and yellow behind them. And in front of them was a girl with black pigtails...

And three familiar faces.

"Paul," Ash stated as the two walked up. Paul sighed internally, though he didn't show his annoyance.  _And how come they never bring up her?_ he questioned. The two stopped, and Paul turned his head to the girl.

"So you must be Candice, the Gym Leader?" he inquired.

"Y-Yes," she responded, sounding nervous for some reason.

Well, whatever the reason for her nervousness, that wasn't what Paul was here for. "I challenge you to a Gym Battle," he requested.

"I-I'm sure you've must have come a long way for this," she began, "but I just finished a battle with Ash, and I'd like to give the gang a rest. How about tomorrow then?"

Paul wasn't disappointed or angry; in fact, he had pretty much expected this answer. Well...he was more expecting her to say it was too late in the day, but in the end it didn't matter what the reason really was. "Alright then," he agreed, "tomorrow it is." He turned, with Haley about to follow him.

"Hey Paul." Why he stopped every time Ash said his name, he'd never understand. Especially since it always proceeded with something he really didn't care to hear. "Check it out!" Ash exclaimed. "I just got my seventh badge! One more and I'm in the Sinnoh League. How many do you have?"

Why was he the only one without six badges? It irritated him that not only was Haley ahead (even though she wouldn't be participating in the League), but that Ash was as well. "That's none of your business!" he snapped, although he probably would have said it, six badges or not. He briskly walked off, and Paul barely heard Ash's grumblings and then Troublesome explaining something to probably that redheaded teen who was also with them.

"Jeez, Paul, let it get under your skin more," Haley muttered sarcastically.

"You were part of the problem," he stated. Now he was the one who received a flick to the forehead. "Ow! Okay, okay, family matters, something like that, sorry." Haley nodded in satisfaction.

So the two went to the Pokémon Center, dropped off their Pokémon, and got dinner. "Yeah, free Pokémon Center food.  _So_ much better than a home cooked meal," she stated sarcastically.

"Stop with the sarcasm," Paul told her.

"I'm just saying." Paul rolled his eyes. Right as he finished his dinner, Nurse Joy called for them, and this time he decided to get the Poké Balls. Putting away his plate he walked up to the counter and retrieved both of their teams, thanking the nurse as he did. Paul then walked back to the table, gave Haley her six Poké Balls, and walked outside to do some training. Haley sighed, and then she heard footsteps behind her. She leaned back her head to see the group of four walk in. "Oh, hey guys," she greeted.

"Hey," the familiar three replied. Meanwhile, the redhead looked to Dawn.

"Who is she?" she asked.

"You know, you could ask me," Haley pointed out. She grinned. "The name's Haley. I'm a friend of theirs. And you're Zoey, right?"

The teen blinked and then smiled but looked slightly confused (only to Haley, since it barely showed in the young woman's eyes). "Yeah but...how did you know my name?"

"Dawn's mentioned you, and I happened to see a bit of the Wallace Cup," Haley explained. She finally lifted her head and turned around, now resting her head on folded arms. "You were pretty good, you know. That Finneon of yours was pretty good. And so was that Shellos."

"Oh, thank you," Zoey replied. "So, is that Paul guy your friend?"

"Yeah. Sorry about before; he's a bit bitter."

"Bitter about what?" Dawn questioned. Haley just shrugged.

"Where is he anyway?" Ash inquired. Once again, Haley shrugged. The younger Trainer looked disappointed that Haley didn't reveal the location of his rival, but he quickly shrugged it off and offered to take Brock, Dawn, Zoey, and his own Pokémon to Nurse Joy. They all declined, seeing as how none of them had battled recently, and so Ash went with only his victorious team.

"So, you guys wanna get dinner and sit with me?" Haley asked. Then she lowered her voice as she added, "Paul went outside to train for tomorrow's battle, so I was kind of left on my own."

A collective sound of understanding rang through the air.  _Last thing we need is them fighting,_ Dawn and Brock realized. "How about on the couches?" Dawn suggested. "They're really comfy."

Haley smiled. "Sure!"

So the three went to get food, and with all of it in hand, the four traveled to the couches in the lobby. Zoey then piped up how she didn't quite understand what the deal with Paul was. The other three took it upon themselves to explain, with Haley holding as much information about his personal issues as she could.  _The last thing I need is Paul at my throat,_ she thought. "Wow," Zoey said when they had all finished. "I'll admit, I'm actually surprised Paul was Chimchar's first Trainer." Of course, that wasn't the only thing that struck the older Coordinator. "And from what I can see, Ash and Paul couldn't be more different if they tried."

"Which is exactly why the two couldn't  _ignore_ each other if they tried," Brock pointed out.

"Yeah, and it gives me a headache," Haley sighed.

Dawn giggled, and then she noticed something very important. "Speaking of Ash, where did he go?" she brought up.

"I thought I heard Nurse Joy call for him a while back," Zoey recalled.

The four looked around the lobby but found it empty of the black haired boy and his beloved Pikachu. "Shit!" Haley suddenly hissed and bolted for the outside. At first the other three were confused until they remembered where Haley had said Paul was.

"Oh no," they all breathed and quickly ran after the fourteen-year-old.

Meanwhile, outside, Paul's training hadn't gone too bad, and it was still going strong. In all honesty, he was going at it less demanding this time, seeing as he figured Candice would be a breeze. All of his Pokémon could take her and if he was going to be truthful to himself...she looked like a ditz. Of course, he wouldn't say that aloud.  _Last thing I need is a repeat performance of Maylene_ , he sighed. He watched as Magmar fired a Flamethrower at Electabuzz, who easily blocked and canceled out the attack. Still, the Flamethrower was good, so Paul didn't feel the need to scold. In fact, he actually saw a need for a slight compliment. "That's good," he told the Spitfire Pokémon. "Now use Flamethrower again and aim for the sky." Magmar looked up and fired; Flamethrower definitely had a lot of power. "Good."

"Hey Paul!"  _Why is he here?!_ Paul cried in his head as Ash ran into view. "Man, you should have seen how totally awesome Grotle was today!" he exclaimed. Paul almost dropped his impassive face for a very confused and agitated one.  _Why the fuck did he use a Grass type in an Ice type Gym?! And why does he think I care?_ "I want to thank Torterra again for the help."  _Oh, that's why._ Paul saw the door fly open, with Haley and Ash's friends behind them. He took that as his cue to leave and returned Magmar so he could have everyone 100% for tomorrow. "That battling style Torterra showed us a while back worked out really well."

 _That's great,_ Paul thought, not actually meaning it,  _but since when did I look like I care?_ "You said you were serious about wanting to win at Snowpoint City," he began to criticize as he walked to the Pokémon Center, Electabuzz right behind him. "So why do you still need Torterra to hold your hand?" He heard Ash growl behind him. "Using a Grass type in an Ice type Gym?" he finally voiced aloud. "I guess you chalked that up to blind fate."

"Stop right there!" Zoey demanded, and so Paul did as he watched her begin to chastise him. "Just who do you think you are?"

"Zoey, stop!" Dawn piped up, getting her out of the of Paul's path and trying to calm her.

"He has no right talking like that," Zoey spat.

"I'm sorry," Haley apologized. "That's just kind of...how Paul is."

"You think this is acceptable?!"

"Of course not, but-"

"Then why aren't you trying to change it?!" Zoey argued. She spat again. "Some friend you are." Haley looked crushed, and then in the blink of an eye Paul had Zoey pinned to the wall.

" _You_ have no right to talk to  _her_ like that," he hissed. "Bash me all you want, but you don't give her any shit, understand?"

Zoey didn't flinch to the harshness in his voice. "I'll have you know that tomorrow, Ms. Senior will wipe the  _floor_ with you," she promised angrily.

Paul smirked. "Really?" he questioned. He let go of the teen. "I don't think so. All of the Pokémon I have are more than capable of her Ice types down, in terms of type advantage and pure strength. I'll let you come, if you so wish, so you can watch 'Ms. Senior' get schooled." With that, he walked off, Haley right behind him.

"Wow, Paul, I...I don't-"

"I wasn't going to let keep talking like that," Paul stated. "Don't listen to her, okay?" Haley nodded.

The next morning, the two had breakfast and happened to pass by the other four. Ash glared at Paul, Zoey glared at the duo, Haley eyed her nervously, and Paul still looked impassive. Dawn and Brock shrunk under the intense atmosphere, but the storm quickly passed as Paul walked off with Haley once again behind him. They didn't get too terribly far from the Center when they heard someone honking behind them. They turned to the van, and Paul didn't even have to look inside to know who was driving. "Reggie," the two teens realized, and the older brother stepped out, smiling as always.

"Hey Paul, hi Haley!" he greeted. "How's it going?"

"Great!" Haley answered. "How about you? It's been a while since I've talked to you."

Reggie gave this sort of worried yet happy look. "Well, things have been going good," he reported, "except Veilstone is still in kind of an uproar about Chase's disappearance. In a way, I'm kind of glad to be out of the city." Then he went back to his smile. "But in terms of business, everything's perfect."

"That's good," Haley replied. "I wouldn't worry about Chase, though. I'm sure he's doing fine."

He nodded and then looked at Paul. "Have you gotten past the Snowpoint Gym?" he asked.

"Coming soon," Paul told him.

"Well, keep in mind that Candice is tough," Reggie advised.

She certainly didn't look tough, unless tough now suddenly meant ditzy, bubbly, and girly. "I've got a plan for her," Paul revealed. Suddenly the door to the Pokémon Center opened.

"Reggie!" Ash exclaimed as he and his friends ran to the brothers and Haley.

The older brother turned to them and kept up with his smile. "Would you look at that," he stated. "Wow, it's been a long time."

"Yeah, it really has!" Dawn agreed.

"It's great to see ya!" Ash added. "What are you doing here?"

"I just finished bringing a Pokémon I was watching back to its Trainer," Reggie explained.

"And you didn't bother to tell me you'd be coming up this way," Paul grumbled under his breath.

His brother chuckled slightly. "You challenging the Snowpoint Gym, too?" he asked.

Ash beamed. "I battled Candice yesterday and won the badge!" he revealed excitedly.

"Really? Awesome!" Reggie congratulated. Then he turned to his brother. "Hey, you hear that, Paul? That's great, huh?" Not when he only had five badges, and Reggie  _knew_ this! It's like he was taunting him or something. "Okay if I watch your battle?"

"Whatever you want," Paul begrudgingly agreed. He didn't notice Reggie's slight frown.  _He'll come around,_ he thought.  _Or so Amber says. At least one of us has confidence._

Suddenly, the whole ground was shaking, and something sounding like a helicopter could be heard. All seven of them looked around, trying to find the source. Then a huge shadow clouded them for a few seconds before moving on, and everyone looked up to see "Is that a pyramid flying in the sky?!" Haley cried.

"Yeah, what is that?" Dawn inquired.

Ash suddenly looked really happy. "It's the Battle Pyramid!" he exclaimed.

"Wow, I can't believe it!" Pikachu added.

The Zuckerman brothers turned to him. "You guys know about it?" Reggie questioned.

"Yeah," Ash answered. "I finally beat it, but it took a  _bunch_ of tries."

Paul's world stopped. All he could ask was,  _How? How? HOW?!_ " _What?!_ " He couldn't believe this. "You  _beat_ it?!"

"That's what I just said," Ash replied. "Oo, hey, Brock, let's go call up Brandon and say hi!"

Brock smiled. "Sure!" he agreed, and the four ran back inside.

No...this wasn't possible. Ash Ketchum...no, nononono, that was  _impossible_. This had to be some sort of hoax, some sort of false claim that...that  _kid_ was using to try a buff himself up. "Um...Paul?" Haley piped up. To her and Reggie, Paul was frozen in place with the look of sheer disbelief, annoyance, and anger on his face.

"I think he shut down," Reggie observed.

"Ugh, where's the on switch?" Haley then snapped her fingers in front of his face. She stopped after about half a minute because her fingers were so sore. "Hey, world to Paul!" she shouted. "You in there?"

He still didn't response, and didn't do so for about another minute or two before he bolted into the Pokémon Center. He noticed that Ash had just finished with his phone call with the Pyramid King. "You!" Ash and his friends whipped towards Paul's voice. "If you want to go to the Battle Pyramid, get in the van right now or else we're leaving without you!"

"You're...going to the Battle Pyramid?" Ash repeated curiously.

"I just said that!" Paul snapped. "Look, I don't need your stupid crap! Just get in the van!" Ash jumped over the couch and outside, Paul quickly following him. The other three were extremely confused but didn't question it as they caught up to them.

"Whoa, whoa, what's going on?" Reggie asked as everyone ran outside.

"Aren't we going to the Battle Pyramid?" Ash stated.

"We...are?"

"I don't need your stupid crap either!" Paul yelled. He began to push his brother to the driver's side. "Yes, we're going!"

"Okay, no need to shove," Reggie replied. He quickly got into the driver's seat, with Paul getting shotgun and everyone else filing into the back. Ash slid the door shut, and then Reggie drove off towards the direction in which the facility had been flying.

"Hey, what's the Battle Pyramid?" Dawn asked.

"It's the last facility of the Battle Frontier in Kanto," Brock explained. "Ash challenged it in his Battle Frontier days."

"The Battle Frontier," Dawn repeated. "That's...um..."

"I know this one!" Haley exclaimed. "It's a group of facilities, kind of similar to Gyms and Gym Battles, but  _much_ more challenging."

Brock nodded. "You challenge the head of each facility known as a Frontier Brain," he continued. "They're extremely skilled Trainers. Brandon is the most powerful Frontier Brain, and everyone calls him the 'Pyramid King'." Paul stared at his lap intensely, waiting for the inevitable question and answer. "Reggie, didn't you challenge him, too? I remember seeing the Frontier Symbols on display in your house."

"Oo, yeah, I remember that, too," Haley piped up. "It was only missing one, right?"

"The Brave Symbol," Reggie reminded, "which is proof of winning at the Battle Pyramid."

"That's right, Brock told me," Ash stated. "So...why did you stop battling?"

"Because I learned one thing," Reggie informed. "That I have a lot more to learn." The only ones who noticed the atmosphere change were the two brothers. Reggie gripped the steering wheel tighter so that his knuckles were starting to go white, and Paul held onto his arms so tightly he was sure red marks would grace them if he were to roll up his sleeves.

Reggie called the incident "The Rift". Paul called it "The Betrayal".

And they were heading right for the cause.

The van finally made its way to the structure, with Brandon and his assistant Sam right in front waiting to greet them. Everyone exited the vehicle, but Paul remained by his door to stare at the imposing pyramid.

XXX

 _"Wow, it's so amazing!" Paul exclaimed. It was about the same height as any other skyscraper in Veilstone, and smaller than some buildings he vaguely remembered from LaRousse, but just the_ importance  _of it caused the ten-year-old to stare at it in wonder. Turtwig agreed with him. "Thanks for inviting me to come watch your battle!"_

 _Reggie laughed. "I'm glad you accepted," he replied. "I'll need all the support I can get. They say Brandon is one of the most_   _difficult Trainers in the world."_

_"Who cares, you can beat him!" Paul assured his idol._

XXX

_You can beat him!_

_You can beat..._

_You can..._

Paul grunted and walked over to the group. "Great to see so many familiar faces," Brandon was saying as he approached. Then the man with brown hair noticed Paul. "If I remember, you're Reggie's younger brother, right?"

XXX

_"And who might you be, young man?" the older male asked Paul._

_"M-My name is Paul," he introduced, feeling the pressure of his gentle yet imposing stare. "I'm Reggie's younger brother. I just started my journey in Sinnoh about a month ago."_

_"Ah, so you decided to stop for a while and cheer on your brother?" Brandon realized with a smile. "Good. And of course, I look forward to battling you one day."_

XXX

"So you do remember me," Paul said. "I'd like to challenge you to a Pokémon battle, right here and now." Brandon looked surprised, and Ash voiced his own confusion.

And then Candice appeared, reminding Paul he had never officially canceled but didn't care anyway.

"Amazing, it's the Battle Pyramid!" she cried as she rode up on her Dodrio. She hopped off when it stopped and marveled at it.

Paul honestly wished he had a fast forward button on life. He didn't care for introductions between Brandon and Candice, he didn't care for whoever this Maria chick was, he didn't care about Brock's usual routine, he didn't care about this Snowpoint Temple that Brandon was apparently here to investigate, this was all pointless! Paul had one goal, and if everyone would  _shut up_ , he could get to it faster. "It appears we've caused a bit of a scene," Brandon noted. "Now Sam."

"Sir!"

"Please go on ahead with Maria to the temple," he instructed.

His assistant looked confused. "What about you?"

"Take a look. Look at this boy's eyes." Paul didn't need a mirror to know that meant his stare had some sort of determination and flare for battle in them. "How can I refuse the battle this young man requests?"

Reggie looked at his brother, concerned. "But Paul...why now?"

"Because I have to do what you couldn't,  _brother_ ," he reasoned. "That's all."

"Hey Brandon," Ash piped up, "may we watch this battle?"

Brandon let the decision fall onto Paul's shoulders. "I don't care," he stated bluntly.

The Pyramid King nodded. "Then everyone, follow me." He began to lead everyone into the facility.

"Paul...are you sure about this?" Haley whispered.

"You doubt I can win?" he questioned.

"I'm just concerned," she replied.

Paul looked at her and then straight ahead at the obstacle before him. "Failure is not an option," he decided.

"Maybe you should think about this more," Reggie suggested.

His younger brother glared. "You have no place to be giving  _me_ advice on this," he spat and walked faster. Reggie watched him with sad eyes.

The two battlers took their place on the field, and Brock stood on the block at the center sideline. "Brandon, I could referee," he offered.

"Why? There's no need," Paul responded. He pulled out a Poké Ball and explained all of the rules of the battle. "It's a full six-on-six battle. Pokémon exchange is allowed. The battle will be over when all six of one side's Pokémon are unable to continue."

The exact same rules his brother had to follow.

"Very well," Brandon agreed.

With that settled, the battle could finally begin. Paul was ready. "Magmar, stand by for battle!" he shouted, releasing his Fire type.

"Regirock, I need your assistance!" Brandon announced. The legendary Pokémon appeared in a white light and then slammed onto the field.

"So Brandon starts with Regirock," he noted. "Just like he did with my brother."

XXX

_Looming at 5'7", the Rock Peak Pokémon was one of few in the world, maybe even the only one. Paul didn't know; all he knew was that his older brother had to defeat it. And he could. The young boy believed this with all of his soul. "Alright Bibarel, come on out!" Reggie shouted with enthusiasm. His trusted partner appeared, ready to take on the challenge presented before them._

_Paul grinned. Bibarel was Reggie's first catch, and his second Pokémon after his starter, Vulpix. And seeing as how the Beaver Pokémon had a type advantage, Reggie was already starting on higher ground. "Reggie, Bibarel, you can do it!" Paul encouraged._

_"Tur, Tur-twig!" his starter agreed._

_Reggie looked at them both and smiled, and then back to the Frontier Brian with determined eyes. "Whenever you're ready, Brandon!"_

_The older man nodded. "I can handle anything you bring!"_

XXX

"Because that is my battling style!" Brandon declared.

Unfortunately, unlike Reggie's battle, Paul didn't start off on a good foot. "Magmar, return," he decided, beaming his Fire type back into his Poké Ball. Magmar could easily handle Regice or Registeel, but not a pure Rock type like the Pokémon that stood before him. As he went to grab his next Pokémon, Paul realized something: in his attempt to put together a team to beat Candice, he had simultaneously put the perfect team to beat Brandon. He smirked internally.

The Pyramid King would no longer reign supreme.

"Hariyama, stand by for battle!" he shouted. He released the bulky Fighting type he had caught in Hoenn, and then it took up a fighting stance.

Brandon nodded. "Let's begin," he stated. "Stone Edge, now!" Regirock created light blue rings around his body that soon transformed into multiple stones. Once they were formed, the Rock Peak Pokémon threw them straight at Hariyama.

Paul didn't understand Brandon's reasoning behind the attack. He knew Regirock had moves like Focus Punch or Hyper Beam, so why a Rock type move? "Block it!" he ordered, not forgetting to do that admits his thinking. Hariyama stuck out its palms, and all of the stones turned into pebbles. "You know, Rock type move won't have much effect on Hariyama," he pointed out. Then he figured one answer. "Was that a test?"

"Well, maybe it was," Brandon replied.

Damn adults. Why did they always have to be so cryptic? And it always involved dumb tests, too.  _Here's what I think of your test._  "Arm Thrust!" Paul ordered. His Fighting type made its large palms glow white and then proceeded to repeatedly his opponent, alternating its hands as it did.

"Hold it down!" Brandon commanded. Regirock, still taking the attacks, held up its arms and bear hugged Hariyama, stopping the attack and immobilizing it. Of course, everyone was surprised at how Regirock could keep moving even after the attacks, especially Paul. But Brandon wasn't done. "Shock Wave!" Regirock sent electricity coursing through Hariyama's body, and with nowhere to go it had to take all of it. The Arm Thrust Pokémon staggered back and ended up on one knee.

But Paul wasn't one to give up either. "Force Palm!"

"Focus Punch!" Hariyama went in to attack Regirock once more, but the Rock Peak Pokémon dodged and punched it with its glowing arm and knocked it to the ground, KOing it in the process.

...Well, no one said it would be easy.

Paul recalled his fallen Pokémon, not exactly worried. After all, it was only one Pokémon. He had five more all ready to go and show Brandon they weren't all talk. "Electabuzz, stand by for battle!" Brandon looked confused at the choice, to which Paul smirked. The man had no idea why Electabuzz was on the field, and he would use that to his advantage. "Brick Break!" he ordered, and his loyal Electric type executed the attack with ease, slamming his hand onto Regirock. It quickly recovered, though, as did its Trainer.

"Stone Edge!" he commanded again. Once more Regirock fired the cluster of stones at its opponent. Paul still had a counter to the Rock type attack, even if it wasn't body parts this time.

"Protect!" Electabuzz formed the green force field, which was  _supposed_ to protect against the  _entire_ attack, but apparently Regirock was  _so_ powerful it somehow broke through the all-encompassing shield, slammed one of the giant stones into Electabuzz's stomach, and sent him rolling onto the floor and stopping on his stomach.  _Wha- bullshit!_ Paul cried as he growled aloud.  _Since when did Stone Edge also gain Feint's properties?! And how can Torterra learn them?!_

But once more, Brandon still had moves to demonstrate. "Now use Hyper Beam!"  _I didn't actually want you to use it!_ Nevertheless, Regirock fired the orange and yellow beam mercilessly at the still down Electabuzz and knocked him out as well.

...Shit.

Now Paul was literally in the same boat as Reggie, down two Pokémon from Regirock alone. He even recalled the Rock Peak Pokémon like he had five years ago so it could recharge.

If this continued...

 _No, no it won't!_ Paul decided.  _I will_ not  _lose! I will_ not  _lose faith!_

Just like how Reggie hadn't.

XXX

_Down two Pokémon - Bibarel and Swalot - but Reggie still looked confident. It wasn't as if he lost; in fact, one could argue that the battle was just beginning. There was no need to panic and therefore no need for Paul to be as tense as he was. But this was the first time something like this had happened to his older brother. Two Pokémon down with just two attacks each and not even a scratch on the golem, who was now being recalled for a recharge. "Come on, big brother, you can do it!" Paul cheered, his starter doing the same. Though whether the Tiny Leaf Pokémon realized it or not, Paul wasn't cheering in hopes of keeping Reggie's spirits up._

_Paul was trying to keep up his own._

_Reggie smiled and nodded as Brandon summoned his Registeel. So Reggie decided to go for broke. "Ninetails, come on out!"_

_The younger brother gasped at the decision for Reggie to bring out his strongest, most trusted partner. Things weren't going that far south, they couldn't be._

XXX

Oh yes they could. Paul knew this, so he decided to bring out one of  _his_ most trusted Pokémon. "Magmar, stand by for battle!" Once again, the Spitfire Pokémon took the field, hopefully for a longer and more successful time. "Use Flamethrower!" Magmar showed off his powerful move, and it directly hit Registeel.

Brandon was as calm as ever.

Because Registeel easily extinguished the flames with just a thrust of its arms.

"But how?" Paul questioned in shock. Of course he should have known better, though. The Iron Pokémon did it to Ninetails, Cynthia's Garchomp never seemed to take the hint - be it a Dragon type or Ice type move - and didn't Regirock just demonstrate how it could easily shrug off Fighting type attacks? Luck never seemed to be on his (or anyone's for that matter) side when it came to these super Pokémon.

"Use Iron Head!" Brandon commanded, and Registeel charged, enveloped in a white and black light.

 _Why does he keep using ineffective attacks?_ Paul questioned in annoyance. "Block it and then use Will-O-Wisp!" Paul ordered. Magmar put his arms up and braced himself, but when the Steel type collided it pushed right on through, sending Magmar back and with a scared look on his face. "Magmar's scared?"  _But why...flinching. Fucking FLINCHING! Why is it always the flinching?! ARGH, I hate this!_ With Magmar unable to do anything, Paul recalled him and put Nidoking in his place. His Poison-Ground type that he had as far back as Kanto was an attacking powerhouse, easily getting him through the first and second round of the Kanto Pokémon League, not to mention countless Gyms. He had to be able to do  _something_.

"Use Flash Canon!" the Pyramid King called out, and the white-and-black beam hit the Drill Pokémon dead on.

Paul could tell though that the attack didn't do much. "Use Earth Power!" he ordered. Nidoking recovered as fast as Paul believed he would and slammed the ground with his fist, opening up small fissures under Registeel. But Paul wasn't going to lag in between his orders any longer. "Double Kick!" Nidoking jumped at the Iron Pokémon and kicked it twice, almost sending it on its back but it was able to regain balance. "Now use Thunderbolt!"  _If I just keep hammering away at it, something is_ bound  _to happen!_ he believed. The Poison-Ground type fired the bolt from the horn on his head and sent it straight for Registeel.

"Iron Head!" The Iron Pokémon charged once more, went right through the electricity like it was nothing, and slammed into Nidoking, sending him to the floor KOed as well. "What's the matter, boy?" Brandon questioned, giving off a challenging - maybe even taunting - tone. "And here I thought you wanted to  _beat_ the man who defeated your brother."

Oh how Paul was absolutely positive he didn't like where this was going, but most of his mind didn't care. He recalled his third fallen Pokémon and glared. "The truth is," he began, falling for the bait, "it's only because you defeated Reggie that my  _victory_ over you will have meaning. The challenge you always present to Trainers to find their own strength," he furiously pointed to his brother in the stands, "was something MY BROTHER WASN'T ABLE TO DO!" He scowled, anger and determination in his eyes. "BUT I'M NOT  _LIKE_ MY BROTHER! MY  _WILL_ GIVES ME STRENGTH, AND NOW YOU'LL SEE IT FIRST HAND!"

"NO!" Brandon shouted. "All wrapped up in the past, but then tell me why you walk the Pokémon path in the first place! Tell me why do you battle!"

Wha...did he just...

No.

_NO!_

How  _dare_ he ask such a question! Brandon knew NOTHING! Absolutely  _NOTHING_! And he figured he had the right to  _question_ such a thing?! To ask why Paul traveled from region to region?! His goal was to become stronger, to prove those who thought him weak  _wrong_! To finally  _be_ somebody  _worthy_ of  _attention_!

...But he was seeking attention from a psychopath.

From a city that didn't care.

From a guy who already was giving his attention.

From his brother whose attention he shoved aside.

What...what was Paul fighting for again?

He couldn't find a reasonable answer.

And because he couldn't, he  _snapped_.

The amount of anger coursing through Paul's body was beyond the anger he had felt when Haley left him on his own. At least some part of his mind was thinking clearly and realized what was wrong. But now...now every single part of his mind was engulfed in so much anger he was practically seeing red. "NOW LAIRON, STAND BY FOR BATTLE!" he roared, no longer in control of his emotions.

At the Iron Armor Pokémon's appearance, Brandon returned Registeel. "Regice, I need you assistance!"

XXX

_As if timing couldn't be worse. Ninetails was down, and it was the only one capable of taking down the Ice type. Staraptor had forgotten Close Combat, Sandslash didn't know any super effective moves - not to mention it was at a type disadvantage - and Drapion wasn't going to be of much use either. Still, the older Zuckerman trudged on, looking rather frazzled, though. He was clearly still determined to win, and deciding that he would want speed, he brought out Sandslash, hoping the speedy Ground type would be able to buy time._

XXX

Paul opted for defense, making his first move Iron Defense to raise Lairon's already high defense.

Brandon's response? To counter with a special type attack rather than a physical one.

"Ice Beam, go!" the man ordered, and Regice fired the blue beam, hitting the Steel-Ground type directly...

And freezing it completely solid.

"What the-" It was just like with Sandslash, being completely frozen in place and defenseless to whatever attack the Iceberg Pokémon had in store. He was waiting for Focus Punch like it had done against his brother's Pokémon.

"Zap Cannon!" It was like the man was deliberately fucking with him at this point! Unable to do anything other than watch in horror, Paul saw Regice created the giant electric ball and throw it right at the frozen Lairon. The attack shattered the ice, not that it was helpful seeing as how Lairon had  _fainted_!

 _God- dah- ARGH!_ Paul yelled in his head, growling at the sight of his fourth downed Pokémon. He recalled it with anger, and went to release the next one in anger. "URSARING, STAND BY FOR BATTLE!" If it had been earlier in the battle, Paul would have 100% faith that Ursaring could easily  _curb stomp_ this asshole and his stupid Ice type, maybe even wiping off the smug look he was pretty sure gleamed in the man's eyes.

It was probably only his mind telling him that, though. The same mind that was reminding him that at this point in the battle Reggie had lost his cool as well.

 _"STARAPTOR, TAKE IT!" he shouted, frightening his younger brother. He had never heard him be so angry before. He had never_ seen  _Reggie this angry before; he was practically_ seething  _with rage over the fact that four of his Pokémon, including his loyal starter, were losing to the man before him._

Paul refused to leave the facility without taking at least one of these stupid golems and driving it through the ground! "USE HAMMER ARM!"

"Focus Punch!" The two Fighting type moves collided, with Ursaring sliding back but Regice hardly being affected.

"NOW USE FOCUS BLAST!" Ursaring began to create the blue ball of energy, but Regice fired another Zap Cannon before it was even halfway done, and since Zap Cannon always paralyzed when it hit, that meant Ursaring's Guts ability would act-  _I. HATE. YOU!_ Paul shouted as he watched Ursaring immobile from paralysis.

"STARAPTOR, PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!" Reggie yelled. "WE HAVE A BATTLE TO WIN!"

...Wait, hold on, why was Paul even  _thinking_ about this? This was  _his_ battle, not Reggie's! But why was Ursaring starting to phase in between being himself and Staraptor in Paul's eyes? They didn't even  _look_ alike! They  _weren't_ alike! Why was-

_All wrapped up in the past._

Brandon's earlier quote rang in his ears.  _I'm...wrapped up in the past?_ he realized.

...How could he  _not_ be.

Everything, from his attitude, to his personality, to his battles, to his pretty much nonexistent social life, to his relationships...every single one of them was connected to something in the past. And he was so caught up in realizing this he didn't even notice Regice being switched out until he heard the cry of its Rock type teammate. "Regirock again?!" he questioned. It was here to finish off Ursaring, much like it had done to take out Star-  _No, stop! Stop it!_ But Paul just couldn't. The battles were all too eerily similar, with too many things happening just as they had five years ago. Different Pokémon, different attacks, different brothers...

Same result.

He recalled Ursaring when he had fallen to Stone Edge, and he was suddenly aware of the conversations held in the stands. Reggie had believed Paul had given up on his Normal type.

Not true.

Paul had given up on himself.

"Now Magmar, stand by for battle!" he shouted, but it wasn't as loud as before. His voice was tired, his anger was dying and transforming into self-pity, and he...

He was done.

"Not only is it a bad match up, but Regirock is just too powerful," he heard Candice state in a sort of pitying way. "It's almost over."

"No, Candice," Haley countered in melancholy, and he heard everyone shift to look at her. "It's been over for a long time now."

...

...

Paul couldn't agree more.

His mouth was on autopilot, ordering a Flamethrower attack he knew wouldn't work. With a successful block and a quick order for Shock Wave, Magmar fell.

And shattered the last of Paul's self confidence.

"Young man," Brandon began after Paul sadly recalled his last Pokémon, "this battle of yours, was it your  _true_ battle?" It shouldn't have been, but... "You've done an excellent job raising and training your Pokémon." Said who? Because it wasn't... "But you allow your emotions to betray you on the battlefield!" But since when had his emotions even really been in check? Paul forced himself to look at Brandon, who was smiling at something Paul was sure didn't exist. "We will battle again when you learn to control them," he promised. All Paul could do in response was a bow of respect.

But his legs were shaking, threatening to buckle under him and send him to his knees. He could see it: him standing there alone, unmoving, in the box he was standing in. Everyone would have left already, and not long after the lights would shut off with a sickening click that would thunder in his ears. Then, alone in the dark, he would collapse onto his knees and bury his head into his hands in shame. Maybe he would silently weep, too. Over his loss...and over the abandonment.

Ash would probably scoff, throwing back his own word right back at him. Maybe Chimchar would release himself from his Poké Ball and glare. "You're not worth our time," Trainer and Pokémon would say. "Us? Your rival? Yeah right." Funny how he always thought Ash wasn't worthy of such a title.

Reggie would probably stare him down. "Way to show me up,  _brother_ ," he would spat, using his own inflection of the title he had dared to use before the battle started. "Do what I couldn't? Talking big only gets you so far." It shouldn't have been a surprise he could only talk; he had been doing that for as long as he could remember.

His Pokémon would probably release themselves in the blue light and snicker. "To think he could command us," they would mock. "To think we took it for so long. Maybe we should find Trainers who aren't so weak and worthless." The irony being how he would always call them exactly that.

Haley would probably look away in disgust. Infernape, Umbreon, and even Luxray would probably join in. "What a waste of time," they would grumble. "To think we could be at the Elite Four Run by now, but instead we had to wait around for the dead weight." Yes, he was nothing more than-

"Paul." His name snapped him out of his dark thoughts; back to the nicely lit pyramid battlefield, still with the same amount of people it but now out of the stands and away from the other side of the field. He looked to Haley, who had a look of deep concern in her eyes. "Come on, let's get to the Pokémon Center," she suggested.

All Paul could do for a while was stare at her blankly, electing concern from everyone. "Yes," he agreed before anyone had the chance to ask if he was all right. He led the way to the outside world, with Haley right beside him. "You doubted me," he noted sadly and quietly.

Haley didn't say anything. "How could I have confidence in you, Paul," she whispered, "when you didn't have any yourself?" His eyes widened. "Behind all of that determination, all of that anger...there was fear, Paul. Fear of losing, of repeating your brother's performance. You were unfocused and unsure." She lowered her head. "But I...I should have had confidence where you didn't. I should have believed in you. I'm...really sorry, Paul."

It was in that moment that Paul realized everyone was concerned for him. That was the last thing he wanted. He quickly glanced behind him and noticed Candice close behind. A plan to throw everyone off came to mind. The group finally made it outside, and Paul addressed the Gym Leader. "You can expect to see me at the Snowpoint Gym tomorrow," he informed her, most likely lying.

"Great, Paul!" Candice exclaimed. One down, only seven more to go. "I'll be looking forward to it!" Then she turned to Zoey. "So Zo-Zo, I guess it's our turn next, right?" The redhead gave a confused noise. "A kiai battle between you and me! Let's get going!"

"You've bet, Ms. Senior!" Zoey replied. Six left. The two girls rode off on Dodrio back into the city, waving their goodbyes. Meanwhile, Paul was thinking of heading back to the city on foot...either that or into the woods to sulk. He took three steps.

"Hey Paul." He stopped at his brother's voice. "Do you think there's any chance you and Ash can treat us to a full battle at some point?"

Paul was surprised by the request. Why would Reggie even think about something like this so soon after the most humiliating defeat he had ever suffered? It wasn't like he had the confidence to even consider it.

But then he quickly realized, as Brandon voiced his agreement and told them to set a time and place, it was the perfect way to have everyone off his trail.

"I'm in!" Ash announced.

"I'm in, too," Paul decided, sounding perfectly determined. Everyone fell for it, because surely a battle with his rival was something Paul couldn't ignore and had to make him go back to normal.

Yeah. Sure.

So Reggie set the time and place: 10 days from that day at Lake Acuity, which wasn't too far from Snowpoint City. That would give plenty of time for Paul and Haley to get their badges and for Paul to train for the battle. With an agreement, the brothers and Haley piled into the van, and Reggie drove towards the city. Paul, sitting shotgun once more, thought about his battle and was generally melancholy when he realized a crucial mistake in his plan to mask his feelings.

He was now riding in the car with the two people who knew him better than anyone.

This could only end so well.

XXX

"Don't worry, Reggie," Paul assured. "You'll beat him next time. You were just caught off guard."

His older brother didn't say anything, and at first Paul was worried and scared. "Paul," his brother finally said. Then he stopped walking and turned his head, giving off a smile. "I'm going back to Veilstone to be a full time Breeder."

Paul's world froze in place as he stared up at his brother. "...You're...going to quit being a Trainer?" he clarified in shock.

"Something like that," Reggie replied.

The younger boy's mouth was gaping in horror. "You mean you...you're giving up on your promise?"

Reggie's face dropped. "No Paul, I-"

"HOW COULD YOU?!" Paul cried. "YOU SAID I COULD  _TRUST_ YOU! SO WHY?!"

"Paul, listen-"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR  _ANYTHING_ FROM YOU, TRAITOR! DON'T TALK TO ME  _EVER AGAIN_!"

"But Paul...how are you going to get the extra Pokémon you capture?"

The boy calmed down extremely slightly. "I call you!" he angrily decided. "But don't  _ever_ call me!" And then he spun on his heels and ran away, his brother calling for him. Paul wanted none of it, and he just kept running, tears stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. Suddenly he tripped, getting scratches on his face and dirt in his eyes. It stung and burned like fire...

But not as much as the pain in his heart.


	31. Stitches

I should have known my little suggestion wouldn't have kept his mind off of the loss for long. Seriously, sometimes I know him better than he does. How could I really believe the offer to battle his rival would keep him calm for long?

Well, I fell for it, and I soon paid the price.

From the side mirror, I watched as the Battle Pyramid got smaller and smaller. It was quiet as we drove down the dirt road back to Snowpoint City. I eyed Paul in the passenger's seat; he looked lost in thought as he rested his elbow on the door and his head was leaning against his hand. Content, I looked back at Haley, but I only caught a glance before Paul suddenly kicked the dashboard hard with a shout of frustration. Surprised, I turned back around and slammed on the brakes, and all of lurched forward and were snapped back because of our seat belts. Haley started freaking out, and I sighed as I turned to face her once more. "Haley, there's nothing to worry about," I assured. "Sorry for scaring you." She exhaled and nodded. Then I felt Paul's glare, and I looked at him.

"What was that for?!" he cried.

"Paul, you kicked the dashboard, and it made a pretty loud sound," I pointed out. "It was quiet in here; why wouldn't I be startled?"

"Oh, so it's my fault?" he questioned in an accusing tone.

"I didn't say that," I replied. "I just stated what startled me." I began driving again. "Although, if I might add, you know you're not supposed to kick the dashboard."

I could just feel him roll his eyes. "Tch, whatever," he huffed.

Now, I'm a nice, patient guy, but it's not wise to push it. Paul was beginning to push it. My fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter as I tried to suppress the rising frustration. "This isn't a 'whatever' kind of situation, Paul, you know that's a rule of this car," I reminded. He huffed again but didn't say anything, and I foolishly took that as he understood. "So Haley, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" I asked, not only wanting to include the seemingly forgotten female, but also try to switch topics.

"Well, maybe I'll explore the city some," she answered. "We came in late afternoon yesterday, and the first thing we did this morning was head to the Snowpoint Gym, so I want to do that. And then probably get some training in for my Gym Battle. Arceus knows I need it."

I chuckled. "I'm sure that's not the case," I told her. "But if you say so." I turned my head slightly so I could see her. "Would you mind if I had a look at your Pokémon? I didn't get a chance to the last time we saw each other."

Haley replied, but I didn't pay attention. "God, will he just shut up?" Paul muttered. Funny, he had spoken at a lower volume than Haley, but I heard it more clearly than her answer. I slammed on the brakes again, this time on purpose. The other two weren't prepared for it and repeated the earlier motions. "Reggie, seriously!" Paul shouted.

But this time I didn't answer him. "Haley, can you walk back to the Pokémon Center?" I asked as I once again tried to keep my frustration in check.

"We're not forcing her to walk in the cold!" Paul argued. "Haley, don't listen to him."

"Haley, please," I said as calmly as I could.

"Reggie, shut up!" Paul snapped.

And so did I.

"Don't you  _DARE_ raise your voice at me!" I yelled. He jumped, and I'm pretty sure I heard Haley do so as well. "And don't you  _DARE_ tell me what to do! Haley, I told you to do something, and I will say it only once more; get out of the car  _NOW_!" Poor girl; she should not have been yelled at, but I did it anyway. I heard her fumble with the seat belt lock and then with the handle to the door.

"Haley-"

"Paul,  _not another word_!" I ordered. That made Haley scramble even more. She finally flew the door open, jumped out, slammed the door closed, and began to run all the way back to the city. I was glaring at Paul, but I also had her in the corner of my eye, and once I saw her disappear, I turned down another dirt road that led into the woods. There was a large clearing not far from the main road, and when I reached it I parked the van and turned it off. For a while we sat in angry, frustrated silence. Paul finally broke it.

"Why did you force her out?" he questioned in an annoyed tone.

"I don't know, Paul, you tell me," I shot back. "Maybe it's because of your attitude right now, and how I would rather talk to you in private."

My younger brother raised an eyebrow. "My attitude has to be a private matter?" he repeated in a deadpan yet disbelieving tone.

"Yes," I told him. "You know better than to behave like this. It's one loss Paul, one."

"He  _destroyed_ me!" Paul hissed.

"Same thing with me," I tried to reason.

"Oh, boo hoo," my brother replied sarcastically. "You just let that die, anyway. Walked off and never looked back as you became a stupid Breeder."  _He's just upset, Reggie,_ I reasoned with myself in order to not lash out at him. "You know what, I don't even know why I'm talking about this with you," he continued, getting harsher and harsher by the word, and I warily wondered where he was going with this.  _Nowhere good,_ I believed. "It's not like you care for me anyway, seeing as how you're willing to betray me."

The words sunk in as we sat in silence. What happened next was something I never expected to come out of me ever.

"You think I don't care?" I repeated slowly. "You think I  _don't care_?!" I snapped my seat belt off and whipped my body around to face him. "Paul, I care more for you than I care for  _myself_  sometimes! Do you think that's easy, especially when your brother either gets into trouble easily or hates you?! Do you know how hard it was to travel when you were younger?! I trusted barely  _anyone_ with you! I worried every day! You know how often I came home to check on you; do you think that was easy?! Paul, to be honest, it would probably be easier to  _not_ care, especially with a selfish, ungrateful, uncaring brother like you!"  _Nice job saying that to your unconfident brother,_ I scolded myself, wanting to take back my comment so badly. But at the same time, I couldn't take it anymore. Like I said, I'm a nice guy...but even nice guys have their limits.

My last statement, meanwhile, bewildered Paul. I can't blame him. "What...what did...I mean what just..." Clearly, he couldn't wrap his head around my outburst. I sighed, trying to calm myself, but my frustration only went down a tiny bit. It didn't help that Paul had recovered and began talking again. "You already don't care, so I don't see what's the problem!" he accused.

"I seem to remember an incident only a few months ago that would say otherwise!" I retorted.

He growled. Once again, I had a bad feeling that swirled around inside me. "I didn't need you!" he hissed. "And that doesn't prove anything, and you want to know why? Because you ended up with that stupid grin on your face, just like every time before that! My life went to shit, and you were smiling! My  _whole_ LIFE has been shit, and you were smiling! You were off having the time of your life, and where was I? Back at home  _crying_! Why weren't you?! If there's anyone who's uncaring, I think it's you!"

**_SLAP_ **

The sound rang through the van, and what followed it was a deafening silence. Then Paul finally registered the red mark that was printed onto his cheek. His voice began to shake, as did his hand, which was slowly guiding its way up to his face. My brother eyed me with wide, shaky eyes. I continued to glare at him, my arm still in the air. It finally lowered, and while my glare didn't die, tears began to spring to life. "I lost count of how many nights I cried myself to sleep," I told him quietly. "Most of them because I felt beyond guilty. I felt like I had let you down. Do you want to know what I wanted to do? I wanted to move out of Veilstone City, and there were many days I researched to find another city - a  _better_ city - for you to live." I let out a shaky breath. "But that was impossible. No other city just let two kids live on their own. Not in Kanto, not in Johto, not in the rest of Sinnoh, and I certainly wasn't bringing us back to Hoenn. We were stuck there, and I felt awful. So I smiled while I hoped everything would turn out okay. I smiled because I had to be strong where you couldn't. I...I..." I looked away and leaned my head against my hand that was propped up on the wheel, and began to silently cry just like I would all those nights ago.

I heard Paul unbuckle his seatbelt and shuffle towards me. "R-Reggie?" he whispered.

"I never betrayed you," I whispered back. "Though I can understand why you would think that. I never properly explained." Not that I got the chance, but the last thing I should say was anything that would feel like a guilt trip...well, more so than what was already going to be said, even if all of it was the truth. I eyed him. "You know how you and Ash have different training styles?" He nodded slowly. "Whether you realize it or not, or whether you want to accept it or not, being a Breeder is another way of training. Through my job, I'm able to help a Pokémon grow healthy and strong. I'm able to understand their personality and figure out what is the best way to train them." I offered him the tiniest of smiles. "Paul...did you really believe I would break my promise to you, that I wouldn't battle you like I said?"

Paul stared at me for a while, and then he looked away. "...I did," he admitted quietly. "But...I know you better than that." He fell silent. "Or, at least, I should have..." With that, he curled up against the door with a guilty look on his face.

If there was anymore I wanted to say, I couldn't now. He had shut the world out, and while words would enter his head, he would never acknowledge them.

Good thing I had nothing else to say.

I lifted my head away from the wheel and turned the key. The engine reeved up, and I drove the van out of the woods and drove back to the Pokémon Center.

Haley looked at us as we walked in; apparently she had sat on the couch and waited for us. She stood up, presumably to talk to my younger brother, but she stopped when she saw the dead look in his eyes as he passed her and walked outside to the Pokémon Center battlefield. "Just let him be," I advised. "He needs space."

"Reggie..." She looked up at me. "What happened?"

"We just talked, nothing more."

She clearly didn't believe me. "Do you still care for him?" she asked.

"Of course," I replied, not quite sure why she asked that.

"Does he care for you?"

I didn't know how to respond. "...I don't know."

"Oh." I think I answered wrong. "Reggie...I don't feel like training any more."

Now I had two depressed teens on my hands. One I knew exactly why, but Haley reasoning was a mystery. "Is there something you want to talk about?" I inquired, leading her back to the couch.

Haley hesitantly shook her head. "N...No, it's fine," she answered.

"Somehow, I don't think so."

And so she poured her heart out, along with a few tears. Now I understood why she freaked out about me stopping so abruptly earlier; I'm surprised she's not afraid of getting into a vehicle. I also began to understand why she was so worried about my relationship with my brother. "So I just- I can't help but worry," she sniffled.

"I know," I told her. "But please don't. There's no reason to."

"Are...are you sure, Reggie?"

I stared at her red eyes, and then I pulled her close and hugged her tightly. "No," I answered honestly, my voice barely above a whisper.

I was also known as a guy who was always under control, who saw the good in everything. It was honestly hard to be that guy at that moment.

The only thing I could do now was hope for the best...and fear the worst.

...

Snow is cold...yeah, no shit. But you really start to realize it when you sit in it from the early afternoon to around sunset. So why didn't I just get up and move?

Simple: I didn't have the energy.

I'm pretty sure I sat outside the Pokémon Center for 3 hours, staring straight at the trees but not really seeing them. In honesty, I was staring at nothing, engaging in a self-pity party. I rarely have those, especially when it came to losing a battle. This one, though...it just left me with a large, empty hole in my chest and a heavy weight on my heart and mind. All I could do for those three hours was think about every aspect of that battle, from my attacks to my strategies to Brandon's words. When the sky shifted to purples, pinks, and yellows once more, I was completely drained. And depressed. I finally stood up and walked into the middle of the Pokémon Center battlefield and released all six of my Pokémon at once. Don't worry; it was the white light, not blue. Still, there they all were, looking tired and hurt and defeated. And when they looked at me, they looked frightened, anticipating a lecture. Instead, they got something completely different.

I looked down at the ground and genuinely told them, "I'm sorry." They gasped. "Our loss today...it was my fault. I wasn't focused, and you had to suffer because of it." There were cries of denial - or, at least I think that's what they were - but I ignored them. "I'll get Nurse Joy to heal all of you, and when she's done...you're all free to go." Shock and distress took over their facial features, and then it coated their voices as they all clearly tried to beg me to change my mind. "The others will join you shortly. Maybe you'll meet up when you find new Trainers.  _Better_ Trainers." They looked devastated. "Well, let's get you all healed and then Nurse Joy will release you." I brought out Electabuzz's Poké Ball to begin returning everyone.

"Paul?" I turned.

Ash.

Once more, the younger Trainer had caught me doing something along the lines of abandonment.

 _I..._ I didn't even have the energy to curse him out in my head. "What?" I asked with barely any life. I was just too drained.

"You're...giving up on being a Trainer?" he questioned.

I stared at him. Then I dropped Electabuzz's Poké Ball onto the ground, followed by unclipping my belt and letting it and the other five Poké Balls join the first one. "I guess I am," I decided as I walked to the door.

"You can't do that!" Ash argued. "What about your Pokémon?"

"They can find other Trainers," I reasoned.

"All because you  _lost_?"

I stopped and snapped my head to him in anger, my energy back for all the wrong reasons. "Don't act as if you know anything, Mister I-beat-Brandon!" I shouted.

"After a  _bunch_ of tries!" he yelled. "I didn't beat him on my first try, or even my second, and I lost badly to boot! He's a strong Trainer! What is so wrong with losing to a strong Trainer?"

"SHUT UP! STOP ASSUMING YOU KNOW EVERYTHING! YOU KNOW WHAT; IF YOU'RE SO CONCERNED, TAKE ALL OF MY POKéMON! I MEAN, YOU ONLY DID SO WITH CHIMCHAR! WHICH BY THE WAY, I'M SURE YOU'RE DOING A  _FANTASTIC_ JOB!" I was shaking in anger, my throat hurt once more, and I could feel the tears again.

Ash looked concerned. "Paul," he said calmly and full of concern, "everything's going to be okay, you know. You can't just give up just because you lost one battle." He placed a hand on my shoulder, like we were buddy-buddy or something. "Come on, Paul. Chin up!"

I eyed his hand, and then I pushed it off. "Find someone else to battle you in 10 days," I advised, my voice scratchy from the shouting. Then I turned around and started walking to the door again. My Pokémon tried to voice an argument, Ash and his Pikachu tried their own, and then the sound of a Poké Ball opening rang in the air. The cry that followed made me stop.

"Chim-Chimchar!"

And now he was trying to talk me out of it as well. I could feel the tears beginning.

So I did the one thing I could think of.

I bolted.

I slammed through the door - startling a few Trainers - and ran for the room Haley and I were staying in. I just kept running and running and running, and the room that was only halfway down the second floor hallway suddenly seemed like a sprint across the country. And even though my lungs were practically burning at this point, I couldn't stop until there was no one around. I didn't want to see anyone I knew at the moment...not like they would want to see me, either. After what seemed like an eternity I finally made it to the door of the room. The threatening tears made my vision blurry, the run and imminent weeping made my breath short, and all of this was making my hands shake so violently I could barely hold onto the key that refused to enter the keyhole. But it finally slipped in, and when I heard the click I flung the door open, slammed it closed when I was inside, and ran to my bed, curling up on it and clutching the pillow for dear life and stuffing my already tear-stained face into it.

I was a horrible, horrible,  _horrible_ person. How could I? How could I seriously believe my own brother would betray me? How could I believe I could beat Brandon when even Reggie couldn't? Not to mention I boasted I could...in my own way. And the worst part about it was that  _I_  hadn't even believed in  _myself_.

The only thing I wanted to do was crawl in a ditch and disappear. It's not like anyone would miss a loser jerk like me, anyways.

I was so caught up wallowing in my own misery that I didn't hear the door open. And Haley apparently hadn't seen me, because she changed into her nightclothes. I know this because I was suddenly shaken violently as she screamed, "Paul!" in a very scared tone. I snapped up into a sitting position to find her in the red pants she bought for the snowy region, her white t-shirt, and a very scared look on her face. But when I met her eyes, she let out a breath and went to a relieved yet worried look. It then changed to pure worry as she asked, "Paul, are you okay?"

I stared at her worried face. It ripped my heart in two seeing her like that; she looked so much better when she was smiling and happy, especially since her concern was in the wrong place. "No," I admitted, looking away from her eyes.

"Would you like to talk about it?" she offered.

This time I didn't meet her worried gaze, and for a long time I didn't answer. "Haley," I finally answered. "I want you to leave."

"Oh," she said, her voice laced with disappointment. "I guess you need more time. I'll give you space."

"No," I went to clarify. "I want you to  _leave_."

I could just imagine this shocked, horrified expression on her face. "What?" she whispered.

I hid my eyes with my hair. "I don't deserve your company." As soon as that sentence rang through the air, I was violently pushed onto my back and Haley placed herself on top of me, her fists clenched on my chest and fire in her eyes as she glared at me.

"Paul Shinji!" she yelled. "Don't you  _ever_ say that again!"

I should have been marveling at how she was completely pressed against me, her heat seeping into my skin, and how we were practically nose-to-nose, but all I could do was stare lifelessly at the inferno raging in her eyes. "But it's t-"

"What did I just say?!" she interrupted angrily. "What about what  _I_ think, huh?! Well guess what, Mister,  _I_ think you  _do_ deserve my time! And you want to know why?! Because contrary to your belief, you are  _not_ a horrible person! Want to know why that is? Because a horrible person wouldn't be lying here feeling guilty about turning his back on his brother! And don't say  _that_ makes you a horrible person, because how were you supposed to know? You were, what, ten? How would you be able to understand why Reggie chose to be a Breeder as a training method, especially since all you knew about strength was raw power? And news flash: Reggie still loves you! He has  _always_ loved you! So I don't understand why you're here thinking no one would care for you, and I especially don't want you here contemplating suicide thinking no one would miss you!"

Now I blinked in confusion. "Suicide?" I repeated.

"Is that not what you've been doing for the last almost four hours?!" she cried.

"No, i-it has," I agreed. "I just...didn't really realize it." I turned my head and looked at my hand. I don't know why, I just did. I moved my fingers.

...Suicide. Suicide. I was contemplating  _suicide_. The idea of my life ending just like that at my own hand suddenly hit me like a semi truck. And when it did, I became _terrified_. I hugged her tightly and hid my head in the crook of her neck as I felt myself tremble and the tears reforming. "I don't want to die," I whispered. "I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die-"

"I'm sorry," Haley interrupted quietly, returning my hug and having one hand grasping my hair. "I didn't mean to scare you, Paul. I'm just... _I'm_  scared. I really, really am. I don't want to lose another close friend. I don't think my heart could take it. I...I would miss you." I began to sob, and so did she.

And I fell for her all over again.

She wasn't just crying for me, she was crying  _with_ me. She cared for me, feared for my safety, was willing to stick around, and she was going to try and mend all of the open scars in my heart.

Strange thing was, I could  _feel_ the mending. For some reason, they felt like little sparks, and I couldn't tell exactly where they were coming from...but it didn't really matter. Each little spark was warming up my heart and making it feel better. Soon my sobs began to die and when it was only silent tears, I turned my head to her, peering into her scared, sad, worried eyes. Her chest was heaving slightly and tears were still rolling down. I wiped one of them away, gently guiding my hand over her cheek. "I'm sorry," I said softly. "I didn't mean to scare you, either. I just can't stand being this...this hateful person."

"Isn't that what we're trying to change?" Haley asked as she gently took my hand in hers. Finally, she smiled. "The two of, together...right?"

I stared at her eyes; they were red and puffy but somehow still had a glint of hope in them. I then looked at her hand curled around mine. It seemed wrong, but intertwining our fingers did not. "Yeah," I answered, studying how easily our fingers curled around one another. I eyed her and watched as her eyes brightened and her face glowed. I smiled along with her, but it disappeared after a few seconds. "But I'm still a horrible Train-" She interrupted with an exasperated sigh.

"Paul, one loss isn't going to change your status as a Trainer," she stated. "Because if that was true, I'd be one of the worst Trainers of all time."

That made me spring up into a sitting position, looking down at her in disbelief. "You're not even close to being a horrible Trainer," I countered.

She sat up along with me. "It's true, Paul," she replied. "You've only seen me in Sinnoh, and to be honest this has been my best region so far. But...trust me, I've lost quite a bit."

"I can't believe that," I told her.

"I wouldn't lie about something like this," she responded. "Do I really look like I'm lying?"

I stared deep into her hazel eyes. There were flakes of emerald green and pure gold that I hadn't noticed before, and it all glimmered with sincerity. "No," I finally agreed.

Haley gave off a small smile. "Do you remember what Brock said all the way back in Oreburgh?" she asked. Barely. It was definitely in the back of my mind somewhere, but that had also been many months ago, with quite a few things happening in between. "He told Dawn I almost beat his Geodude with Eevee, and then once I switched to Squirtle it was basically a cakewalk. All of that is true." I saw her face fill with pride, but there also seemed to be a bit of somberness to it. "I felt like I was on top of the world in Kanto. Like I could beat  _anyone_. And I did. Brock was the first Gym Leader to fall easily, and Lily stood no chance against my Ivysaur and Pikachu. Any Trainer I came across lost, even my rival." She chuckled. "You think you and Ash get in each other's face? Try Leaf and I. We butted heads so bad I'm surprised both of us aren't permanently brain damaged. But back on topic, by the time I reached Vermilion, we had battled three times, and each time I won with relative ease. Feeling confident, proud, and cocky, I went to the Gym." Now the somberness overtook the pride. "You know who runs the Vermilion City Gym, right?"

Once you fight him, you never forget.

An arrogant, loud, crude man, Lt. Surge is considered to be one of the cruelest Gym Leaders in the world. Why the Pokémon League would keep a man like that is simple: he's not all bark. The fight against him is one of the few I not only thanked myself for delaying, but also for changing my personality.

Because while he had been arrogant, loud, and crude, I was cold, calculating, and ruthless.

It was probably one of my better ideas to fight him for my last badge. Haley thought it would be wise as her third.

I didn't like where this was going.

"He's a man who likes challenging your starter," Haley stated, giving me information I already knew. Although, even though Torterra was the Pokémon I used, it was still a tough fight. "Of course, my starter was Eevee, and we were one of the cockiest teams you would ever meet. Paul, trust me..." She gave off a sad smirk. "I know the pain you felt after your loss to Cynthia."

XXX

Like so many other Trainers before me, I had to take my Pokémon to the ER in the Pokémon Center. But I wonder how many Trainers stared into that window feeling smaller than a Diglett and more useless than a Sunkern. To see my undefeated best friend lying on that bed, with all of these cords and wires attached to her small body and a breathing mask over her nose and mouth...it was beyond soul crushing. All of my Pokémon were released at the time, watching Eevee with concern. But they weren't as concerned as I was...or felt as defeated. "Everyone..." They turned to me, and I didn't meet a single gaze. "When Eevee wakes up...tell her she's free to go...just like the rest of you."

They all, of course, looked shocked and appalled to the idea that I was giving them up. "Y-you can't do that!" Cubone cried, tugging at my leg in order to grab my attention, but her attempts only made me turn away even more.

"You all deserve a better Trainer than me," I responded sadly.

"No, Haley, you're a great Trainer!" Pikachu reassured.

"All Trainers lose at some point," Ivysaur remarked, "and you should be taking this one with a grain of salt."

"Yeah, that guy is nothing but a bully!" Wartortle exclaimed angrily. "How dare he say those things about you and Eevee!"

Their comments were falling on deaf ears. "Guys, I've made up my mind," I told them before I began walking away. They were all devastated, Charmeleon being the most effected.

"No! I refuse to let you walk out on us!" he shouted. "My last owner  _died_! I refuse to be left alone again nor let anyone else feel that pain!"

"At least your owner didn't have an ego the size of the planet!" I argued, finally whipping around to face them. "At least your owner didn't go parading around how amazing they were! At least your owner didn't send you to the ER knocking at death's door! And you want to know the best part about all of this, Charmeleon? It's all. My. FAULT!" Before any of them could speak I whipped back around and bolted for the door, running all the way until I reached the shoreline on the west side of the city. I angrily sat myself down on some rocks and buried my head into my lap. I don't know how long I sat there, listening to the waves crash against the rocks and smelling the ocean breeze, before a booming voice startled me out of my pity party.

"STOP MOPING, YOU BABY!" he demanded, and I instantly knew who it was. Pity turned into anger, and I sprang up to face the 7-foot man.

"I don't want to hear anything from you right now!" I shouted, not caring that he was 2 feet and 6 inches taller than me. "You're nothing but a bully, you know that?! I'm the twentieth Trainer you made send their Pokémon to the ER! The Pokémon League should consider  _banning_ someone like you!" I turned my back on him, intending to walk away, but then I heard him sigh.

"Listen, kid," he began, sounding calmer than I had ever heard him and using a nickname other than baby, "my methods aren't exactly the best. I shall acknowledge that. Trust me, the Pokémon League has cracked down on me before. The reason I'm a tough taskmaster, though, is because I've seen the bad side of the world." He chuckled. "I'm a soldier, kid. I've seen plenty of bad things. And one of the worst is cocky young folk like you, who think just because they've won battle after battle they're somehow experts. You're not going to win all of the time, and if you are you aren't challenging yourself. But if you're just going to throw in the towel, then that's even worse." He put a hand on my shoulder and made me turn around to look up at him. "How do you know you'll lose the next battle if you don't participate in it? You always have a 50/50 chance of succeeding or failing when you get out there, but you have 100% chance of nothing happening if you do nothing."

I stared up at the man, listening intently, and then back at my feet. "That doesn't change how horrible my performance was today," I argued weakly.

Lt. Surge squeezed my shoulder. "You made mistakes," he stated. "Everyone does. It's no secret I like evolved Pokémon, but as a young man showed me about a week ago, it might not have been the best decision to evolve Raichu as quickly as I did. It's why I didn't try and persuade you on evolving that Eevee of yours. Your mistake today was being too predictable." He removed his hand, and I looked up at him again to see a smirking grin. "Come on, kid, throw me for a loop! I don't wanna see you attack, attack, attack, I wanna see strategy and maneuvers I'm not expecting!" He chuckled. "So am I going to see you tomorrow with all of that bravado you had today, or am I going to have to start calling you baby again?"

"One question," I replied. "Why are you here?"

"Ah, Nurse Joy called me as soon as that Pokémon of yours was all hooked up," Surge explained. "Said she was sick and tired of seeing Pokémon comin through the door because of me, and that you looked the most depressed by far." He then used my head as an armrest. "Sedais are known for being powerful Trainers, kid, and the last thing I want is to be the one who chased one out of the battling scene."

"You're a selfish man, you know that?" I grumbled.

The Gym Leader laughed. "Kid, I've known that all my life," he responded.

I finally gave a small smile before moving away so his arm was off my head. "You can expect to see me as soon as Eevee is all ready to go," I told him. "And even if it takes us all week, or even two," I smirked, "we aren't leaving Vermilion City without the Thunder Badge!"

"That's the spirit!" Lt. Surge encouraged. "And I expect you to follow up with that promise!"

XXX

"We did," Haley revealed. "The next, actually. Eevee was determined to show Lt. Surge what she was made of, and it made her recovery all the quicker. We threw him for that loop he wanted, and he's the one who really got us on combining attacks and being creative with our battling. My team and I did lose to a few Trainers after that, but we didn't lose to a single Gym Leader or my rival."

"What about that Mewtwo thing Mismagius created?"

Haley sighed. "We didn't know what to make of that loss. The Pokémon was artificial, but at the same time it attacked like a real Pokémon. We just kind of shrugged it off and assumed we would have another chance." She shook her head. "Anyway, we took on the Elite Four Run, after of course one last battle with Leaf. All previous fights weren't taken into consideration; if she won, she was going through and if I won, I was going through. I won, and that kind of set my confidence pretty high. Not to mention we plowed right through the first three with no trouble, and since Kanto didn't have a Champion - and still doesn't - we figured we could easily win...without the need to heal."

"I do remember you telling Cynthia something about how you should have lost," I remembered.

"Yeah," she said. "To be honest though, Paul, I still consider it a loss. I mean, we went it, and I figure it's only dumb luck and sheer willpower that we won. I told Jared at the PokéRinger competition that Charizard had out sped Dragonite, and that's true. But he didn't out _maneuver_ him. Eevee was the last Pokémon I had, and she really stepped up her game in order to take Dragonite down. She's the real reason we won, but..."

XXX

"So, ready to be accepted into the Hall of Fame?" But when Lance finally looked at us, he realized we all looked downcast.

"Lance...we'll try again next month," I informed. My team nodded.

The Dragon Master completely turned around. "What makes you think you need to retry?" he questioned.

"We didn't battle at our best, Lance," I reasoned. "We could have done so much better."

He studied us and shrugged. "Quite possibly," he agreed. "For what it's worth, Haley, for your first Elite Four Run I'm very impressed. Most people struggle against Bruno and then lose to Agatha. For you to be in this room..." He looked around at all of the pictures of pervious victors and smiled. "That's something you should feel proud of."

"But we-"

"Made mistakes," he interrupted. "You were so caught up in being unpredictable you became predictable." Lance smiled. "That doesn't mean there aren't things to praise. Dragonite is hardly - if  _ever_ \- out sped, Gyarados has never gone down in just a few attacks, and," he chuckled, "man oh man, you should have realized how surprised Aerodactyl and I were. Usually everyone freezes up at the sight of it but you...you just acted as if it were another Pokémon to defeat. That alone is worth praise."

We stared at the last Elite Four member, intently listening to him speak. "Why are you giving us all of these compliments?" I asked.

"Because there's always a diamond in the rough if you just search for it," he replied. "There are always things I need to work on, but I also search for what I did well. Even then, Haley, I don't ponder it for too long. The past, you must realize, is a  _guide_ post, not a  _hitching_ post."

XXX

A guide post, huh? I huffed in amusement. "Sounds like something he would say to me," I commented.

Haley giggled. "I'm sure he would," she agreed. "Lance was the one who guided me onto the path I'm on today. I've learned a lot by following his advice, and I found myself losing and reflecting quite a bit. In Johto, I lost to Whitney...then again, who doesn't?"

"I didn't."

She gave me this bewildered look. "How?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Well, remember that bracelet I gave you as a belated Valentine's Day gift?" I reminded.

"The silver one with the ruby and emerald on it that I find myself wearing more often?"

I did notice that last detail was actually kind of true. "Yeah," I answered. "I was actually supposed to battle her on the day I got it, which was Valentine's Day."

"And knowing you, you didn't like the fact that she had a boyfriend she wanted to spend the day with," she joked slyly.

She knows me too well. "I used that to fuel myself so I could win," I informed.

"Should have known," she stated. "Anyway, I lost to her, I lost to Morty - though for different reasons than you." I pushed her back a little, but all that did was make her laugh. "I almost lost to Pryce, and when I won against Clair, I had to do some test in the Dragon's Den because she didn't find me 'worthy enough'. I think she was just having a bad day. I also almost lost to Lance when I did Johto's Elite Four Run, but that time I feel it was more because he stepped up his game since he's Champion of Johto rather than just an Elite Four member. And then...Hoenn." She chuckled. "Even if I lose to Candice and the eight Gym Leader here,  _nothing_ will compare to how much trouble Hoenn gave me. I lost to Brawly, I lost to Wattson, I lost to Norman - after, when I came to Petalburg the first time, I insulted him because he wouldn't let me in because I didn't have four badges even though I had won two Runs - I lost to Winona - which you already know why - and I lost to Tate and Liza."

"That's quite the streak," I noted.

"Yep," she said. "But I didn't let any of them stop me. Maybe it was because I had been through more battles than before or maybe it was because my team was calmer, but I didn't once think of throwing my belt away. Paul, you've lost before, too. You lost to Cynthia, you almost lost to Roark, and the two of us almost lost to Fantina. I'm sure you've lost to other Trainers and Gym Leaders before as well, but you can't let this one loss get the best of you. I know it meant more than the others..." She scooted closer to me, tightening the grasp of our intertwined hands. "But it can't get to you like this, Paul. You can't this one battle define you."

I stared into her hazel eyes, and I realized something that was irrelevant but I also couldn't ignore: she gave off the scent of cherry blossoms. And it was comforting me and calming me down and making me fall more and more and more. Without really thinking I gently connected our forehead and noses and sort of nuzzled her. "I'm sorry for worrying you," I told her.

"Who you should be apologizing to are your Pokémon," she replied, matching my nuzzling. "They were really worried that you were actually going to release them. Paul, whether you realize it or not, they care for you. Ash does too, even if you don't like him. I think, at the least, you should confirm that you guys will battle; even if you don't apologize, that will be something to assure him. And of course, I think you need to apologize to Reggie."

I nodded. "I know," I whispered. We kept nuzzling, all of our emotions passing through our actions. And we came pretty close to a kiss. Two inches...one inch...

And then someone knocked at the door.

Groaning, I got up and went to answer, ready to tell off whoever was behind the door.

Except it was Reggie.

How could I yell at him for something that was honestly so trivial, especially compared to the fact that I still had to apologize for something much bigger? "Hey, Paul," he greeted, sounding slightly lifeless and even a bit nervous. "I...I just wanted to check on you."

My own brother...my  _own brother_ was nervous to even check up on me. How did I not notice this? How could I not feel  _bad_ about this? So instead of chewing him out, I ran up to him, buried my head into his chest, and began to cry. "I'm so sorry!" I sobbed.

Reggie returned my hug with one arm and began to smooth my hair with the other. "Ssh, ssh, it's okay," he assured.

"No it's not!" I argued. "No it's not! I-I was a jerk to you, I was so mean to you, and it wasn't fair! I don't deserve to have a brother like you!"

"That's not true," he countered, and I felt his chest slowly began to heave. "That's not true. Paul, please don't say that. You're the only family I have left, and I think you're absolutely worth it. I said things too, I didn't elaborate on things, I'm...I'm so sorry, too." He hugged me tighter, and we both sank to the floor. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I'll be a better brother," I promised, still crying. "I'll call more, I'll be nicer, I-I'll-"

"Thank you," he muttered. "I love you, little brother."

I buried my head in a little more. "...I love you, too, Aniki," I responded quietly. How many years had it been since I called him that? It was clear Reggie was surprised by my use of his old nickname, because he slightly removed his hands, but then he quickly put them back where they were and pulled me in as close as he could. We knelt there for many minutes before I finally looked up at him. "I love you," I repeated. He smiled. "And...I really am sorry."

He rubbed my hair. "I'm just glad you're working on it," he commented. "So, do you think you'll be ready for your Gym Battle tomorrow?"

"I...I don't know," I replied.

"Really?" He smiled more. "Because these guys say otherwise." He stood us up and released all of my Pokémon, and all of them were staring right at me. I let out a breath and wiped my face.

"Guys...I'm sorry for what I said earlier," I said. "I promised myself I wouldn't abandon any more Pokémon...and I almost broke it." They kept staring, and then they finally nodded. "This time, though, I really mean it. You can stay," they smiled, "and tomorrow..." I looked at my team. "Magmar. Electabuzz. Lairon. Nidoking. We're going to try to win tomorrow. And should we lose...we will try again. Even if it takes us all week, even if you all have to be used, even if I have to switch to other Pokémon, we will not leave Snowpoint City until we earn the Icicle Badge." They cheered in agreement, and I nodded. I could feel Reggie and Haley beaming, and everything seemed right with the world.

Maybe...maybe even better.

Reggie handed me my Poké Balls, and I returned all of my Pokémon, reclaiming my team. Then Reggie suddenly gave me a hug, which I was a little surprised but then quickly returned it. He told us good night before walking away. So I closed the door and went to get ready for bed. When I walked out of the bathroom, I noticed Haley was still sitting on my bed, to which I raised an eyebrow. "So...did we switch beds while I wasn't looking?" I asked.

She jumped and then began playing nervously with the end of her hair. "W-well, I was just k-kind of thinking...i-if maybe we...c-could sleep in the s-same bed...together t-tonight," she suggested. She eyed me sheepishly. "I-if that's okay."

Okay? Okay?! That was  _more_ than okay! But I didn't try to show it and instead smirked at her. "Aw, is someone getting lonely?" I joked.

"N-No," Haley stuttered. "I-I just thought-" I chuckled and sat down next to her.

"Sure," I answered, "on one condition."

She gave me a curious look. "What's the condition?" she inquired.

"Don't use that pillow," I told her as I laid down.

Haley looked at it. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing," I reported. Now she looked very confused, and I took that opportunity to pull her down, getting a squeak out of her. Her head landed on my chest, and I chuckled again. "But I think this pillow might be comfier," I added.

She gave off nervous noises before finally relaxing and snuggling up to me. "It...it kind of is comfy," she mumbled happily. Then she hummed before yawning. "Good night, Paul."

I smiled. "Good night," I replied before closing my eyes, content.

Yeah, content. There was an opportunity for me to get that kiss I've been desiring for a long time now, but maybe it was a good idea Reggie had interrupted us. Because as I began to fall asleep I figured that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't time just yet.

No, we would just have to wait a little longer.


	32. Confidence

"Man, it's been a long time since I've been here," Reggie stated as we stood in front of the Gym. "So, you ready, Paul?"

I breathed out. "Kind of," I replied.

"Come on, Paul," Chase encouraged. "You've got this." I nodded slightly, and with smiles on their faces the other two males went towards the entrance. Of course, I was still kind of nervous, and therefore a little tense. That was when I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see Haley giving me a determined smile.

"You can do it," she assured. "We all believe in you, so believe in yourself."

I stared at her, and after a while I nodded. "Right," I agreed, and with a warm smile from her we followed my brother and Chase.

To be honest, it was kind of an...eventful morning. I woke up completely forgetting that Haley was in the same bed as me, and when I went to stretch I accidentally pushed her out of bed. In her surprise she had dragged me along with her, and guess what position we (of course) landed? It was like fate was teasing me, placing us nose-to-nose. I had a feeling something was going to interrupt me  _again_ , but when nothing happened I decided to give it a shot, only to find I had been a Magikarp on a fishing line and the fisherman was being a dick. I groaned again at the sound of someone knocking at the door and went to answer it.

This time, Reggie was not getting away with his unfortunate timing.

I was about to tell him off when he gave this all-knowing smirk. Not quite knowing if he had planned this or just happened to knock but still knew, I chased him down the hallway anyway, leaving Haley alone to change and also very confused.

After Reggie basically tricked me back into the room, I got ready, and then all three of us went to breakfast. Even Reggie agreed that Haley needed to be force fed, and I let him have a shot. Once again he proved how annoying big brothers could be by tricking her into eating with ease. Honestly, it was kind of clever. So clever I can't think of how he thought of it so fast, nor can I remember it.

With that fiasco out of the way we began our trek to the Gym (the Yanmas returning to my stomach) when Chase jogged on by. He was apparently exploring the city and actually almost freaked out at the sight of my brother, but Reggie promised he wouldn't tell. Chase then asked where we were going, got confused when we told him, understood when we said "It's a long story", and decided to tag along to watch.

Needless to say, with an audience, I wasn't the calmest guy.

And when we stepped inside, I remembered I had invited one more guest to tag along.

"Welcome, Paul!" Candice greeted excitedly, with that red haired girl right next to her. "It's awesome to finally see you here!" She gave a big, warm smile but very determined eyes. "Ready for a kiai battle?"

Okay, seriously, I'm really confused about this "kiai" thing she keeps saying. Isn't "kiai" supposed to be a shout you use in martial arts? Whatever, doesn't matter,  _didn't_ matter, all that did was winning. "Sure," I answered, and with a nod she went to her side of the battlefield. Everyone else went to the bleachers, but Zoey didn't go without talking to me first.

"I'm on to you," she muttered so that no one could hear but me. "You may have fooled everyone else, but I bet all of that 'depression' yesterday was nothing but a way to seek attention." She began to walk away, but I responded before she got too far.

"I'm not a huge fan of attention," I informed.

She snorted. "Then what was that battle about yesterday?" she scoffed.

Some of my mind just wanted to tackle her and tell her off, but the majority of it knew that would be a bad idea and also going in the exact opposite direction of where I wanted to go with my character. So instead I took a small breath in and out. "Don't assume things you don't know," I advised. "You know what they say, right?"

Zoey glared; she was probably offended by my sarcastic comment that didn't sound sarcastic nor was it supposed to be sarcastic. "Fine," she begrudgingly agreed. "But you better keep that promise you made the other day then."

Haley said I had as many chances as I wanted. Zoey gave me one before she would tare me to shreds.

Sudden and unwanted pressure is sudden and unwanted.

"May I have your attention!" the referee called once everyone was in their places. "The Snowpoint Gym Battle with Paul the challenger versus Gym Leader Candice will now begin! Four Pokémon for each side." Well, this would certainly be a change of pace. All the Gym Leaders I had battled before used at most three. "This challenge will be completed when all four of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Furthermore, only the challenger may exchange Pokémon during the battle."

Candice smiled even more, if that was possible. "Alright, Paul, I'm expecting an awesome battle today!" she declared.

For me at the moment, that seemed to be a tall order. I took a deep breath. "I won't lose," I told her.

"That's what I like to hear!" she exclaimed. The Gym Leader pulled out a Poké Ball. "Sneasel, come show us your kiai!" The Dark-Ice type appeared, and if I were smart I would have used Hariyama. But I had promised Nidoking, and it had been forever since I used him. So against probably better judgment I pulled out his Poké Ball.

"Nidoking, stand by for battle!" As the Drill Pokémon emerged, I heard a scoff. I began to turn my head.

"Paul, the battle is in front of you, not over here," Haley instructed. I looked right at her, and she was smiling. "Ignore us; we're just the peanut gallery. So focus." I nodded slowly and turned my attention back to the field.

An ice field. That would make it easier for her Pokémon to maneuver while mine would have to stay in place to avoid being wide open. If there were anything I did first, it would have to be disturbing the field. "Challenger has first move," the ref decided. "Battle begin!"

I wasted no time. "Nidoking, Earth Power!" He nodded, knowing my plan exactly. He punched the ground as hard as he could, and the earth became unstable, no longer being the smooth, beautiful sheet of ice it had been. Now there were ice spikes jetting out of the ground and unskateable. Candice looked angry with her ruined field, but then she gave off a smirking grin.

"Not bad, Paul," she complimented. "But we won't let this stop us! Go, Sneasel, use Faint Attack!" The Sharp Claw Pokémon disappeared, but judging from the small shaving of ice coming off of the spikes it was using them to jump closer and closer. Combined with the fact that it was using Faint Attack, this wouldn't end well if I didn't plan properly and quickly. Well, it wouldn't be wise to try and attack. It would leave Nidoking too wide open. Okay, so if we couldn't be offensive...

"Brace yourself!" I ordered. Nidoking crossed his arms milliseconds before Sneasel made contact with my Poison-Ground Pokémon. The Gym Leader's Pokémon made an obvious scowl and looked like it was about to use another Faint Attack, but Nidoking grabbed its arm to prevent him from escaping. "Double Kick!" My Pokémon dropped Sneasel and kicked it twice, sending it back into one of the ice spikes. But I couldn't stop, not now. "Sludge Bomb!" My Pokémon shot out globs of brown sludge, which hit the dazed Sneasel dead on, but when the smoke cleared the Dark-Ice type was still up. I panicked, though honestly it was unjustified and a little childish.  _Damn it, damn it, damn it! It's still not down! Oh man, what if Nidoking loses? This isn't good!_

"Good work, Sneasel!" Candice congratulated. "Now use Avalanche!"

Okay,  _now_ panicking was justified. Avalanche is a move that doubles its power if the Pokémon using the move is attacked. Combined with the fact that Nidoking was weak to Ice...this wasn't going to end well. Especially since - even though panicking was understandable - I took it to the extreme. "Nidoking, do something!" I cried. He looked at me and then back at the oncoming avalanche Sneasel created. Not knowing exactly what he should do, he just braced himself, which proved to be much harder than the last time he defended. My Poison-Ground type was being pushed back big time, and my panicking grew to rookie levels.  _Rookie_! My mind was panicking so much I couldn't think of anything to do, as if I was facing Flint all over again. To stoop so low was practically shameful, and when I realized it I was angry with myself but still without a plan.

"Paul!" I turned my head to the stands, noticing that Haley and Chase were staring at me with determination. "Calm down and think for a second!" Haley advised.

"Come on, man, shake it off!" Chase encouraged.

I blinked and then shook my head to clear my thoughts. "Right," I agreed and went back to focusing on Nidoking, who was still taking the attack full force. The idea to push it back came to mind, and since was all I had, it was what I went with. "Nidoking, Thunderbolt!" He coated himself in electricity and fired a bolt at the raging snow, pushing it back. It soon died, but out of the fog it left behind came Sneasel, who began to attack furiously with Fury Swipes. Already weakened by the previous attack, Nidoking looked like he was about to faint. But I refused to let my Pokémon go down by himself. "Grab it again and use Double Kick once more!" I ordered. Before Sneasel could get another swipe in, Nidoking grabbed its small body and dropped it right into the Fighting type move. The Dark-Ice type flew back, hit one of the stalagmites, and ended up on the floor fainted.

"Sneasel is unable to battle!" the ref declared. "Nidoking is the win- huh?" Unfortunately, Nidoking had taken too much damage from Sneasel's attacks and ended up collapsing as well. "Um...well...both Pokémon have fainted, which means this is a tie."

...You know, just because I wanted that to happen more than Sneasel taking Nidoking out, that didn't mean I wanted that.

I sighed as I pulled out his Poké Ball. "Nidoking, return," I stated before beaming him back in.  _Well,_ I began to reason with myself,  _if there's one thing that's positive about this, it's that at least one of my opponent's Pokémon is down. Better than yesterday._

Candice returned her own fallen Pokémon, but she looked less disappointed than I probably did. "That was awesome, Paul!" she said after returning her Poké Ball to her belt. "You've got spirit; I like that! But don't think we're going to up, either. We're just getting started! Piloswine, show us your kiai!"

My hand twitched as the Ice-Ground type showed up. I didn't even realize she had that, and all of the Pokémon I had were weak to Ground type moves. Once again I thought of using Hariyama or Ursaring, but once again I ignored the smarter choice and decided to keep my promise. But then came the hard part: which of the three would I choose? They were all bad match-ups, but which one would be better than the others? I quickly decided against Lairon since it was four times weak to Ground type attacks, and soon I decided against Magmar because I figured Candice had an Abomasnow and Magmar would be most effective against that. There was just one small problem with my plan, and I only realized it after I had sent Electabuzz out and ordered him to use Brick Break:

That was the only offensive move he could use.

 _This is bad!_ I told myself as his glowing hand connected with Piloswine's Headbutt. I mean, I guess there wasn't anything wrong with using Brick Break, but who the hell spams the same move over and over?! And what would happen if Electabuzz couldn't defeat Piloswine before he exhausted Brick Break?! Still, I had to keep going, and Electabuzz kept using Brick Break like I ordered him to. Everything was going okay, until- "Piloswine, use Earthquake!"

_Why me?!_

It occurred to me a split second after Electabuzz was flung into the air by the shifting earth that I could have called out an order for Protect. But instead I just stood there like an idiot, watching my Pokémon get tossed around like a rag doll.  _Then again, for all I know, it would have failed like yesterday,_ I thought sadly. Now instead of self-doubting through panicking, I was self-doubting through lack of confidence, and it was honestly disgusting.  _Maybe I wasn't ready for today. Maybe I should have waited. Maybe-_ Suddenly I felt a literal shock to my system. "Elec, Electabuzz!" my Electric type shouted, glaring straight at me. He had used a very weak Thunder to grab my attention, and the look in his eyes told me he wasn't ready to give up.

I suddenly found a little confidence.

"Electabuzz, Brick Break again!" I ordered. He smirked at me before leaping towards Piloswine and slamming his fist onto him. To hell with it, we were going to spam that move till the Miltanks came home. "Keep it up! Don't stop for anything!" And so he did. He hit his opponent with the same move over and over, and meanwhile Piloswine retaliated with Headbutt and Stone Edge. Despite his determination, Electabuzz was getting weak; he wouldn't be able to last much longer, and neither would the Brick Breaks. But when he went to punch one time, his hand wasn't glowing.

Rather, it was on fire.

Electabuzz had learned Fire Punch.

Caught off guard, Piloswine didn't have time to dodge the attack, so the attack landed with ease. The Ice-Ground type skidded back, and then it burst into flames, indicating it had been inflicted with burn. Luck was finally deciding to be on my side for once, but when I looked at Electabuzz, I realized we wouldn't hold the advantage for long. He was almost completely drained, and it was clear from his posture and his heavy breathing that he wasn't going to last much longer. But then his eyes met mine, and he gave off a smirking grin. He knew he wasn't going to last.

But like hell he was just going to go down quietly.

I nodded. "Electabuzz, use Fire Punch one more time!" I commanded.

"Give them a Headbutt they'll never forget!" Candice ordered. Both of our Pokémon charged, and when the clash ended, they both collapsed onto the floor, fainted.

"Both Pokémon have fainted, which means this is a tie!" the ref repeated.

Oh boy.

Once again, we recalled our fallen Pokémon, but Candice was still smiling. "Excellent work, Paul! To be honest, I have no idea how this battle's going to end!" She pulled out her third Poké Ball and grinned as she exclaimed, "But I can't wait to see how it will!"

 _Hopefully with my sixth Gym Badge,_ I thought. "Lairon, stand by for battle!" I shouted, no longer caring about type match-ups. I was going all or nothing.

"That's the spirit!" Candice stated. "Froslass, show us your kiai!"

I couldn't help but be slightly proud and slightly nervous at the same time as the Ice-Ghost type appeared on the battlefield. Proud, because I actually had made a pretty good choice in Pokémon, but nervous, because even if I had caught a Froslass of my own I couldn't help but still slightly fear Ghost types. But I pushed that down. I was determined to get through this battle without any more hiccups. "Lairon, use Iron Head!" Its faceplate glowed white, and then it quickly charged into Froslass, knocking her up into the air.

"Use Ice Beam!" Candice shouted, and Froslass stopped herself mid-flight in order to fire the bluish white beam.

"Counter with Rock Slide!" Lairon summoned a numerous amount of boulders and threw them at the beam, stopping it halfway and even getting a few to hit the Ice-Ghost type.

Candice smiled. "Nice counter!" she complimented.

Finally, I felt a tiny bit like my old self as I smirked a little. "Did you really think we'd just give up?" I questioned.

"Of course not!" she replied, seemingly happy that I had snapped out of whatever I had been doing. "But we won't either! Froslass, use Wake-Up Slap!"

_Fuck!_

Froslass quickly flew and slapped Lairon into a stalagmite. My Pokémon luckily got up and shook itself off, and I decided not to take any chances. "Use Iron Defense!" Lairon's body outlined in light blue and its body briefly shined, increasing its defense, and hopefully it would be useful this time.

The Gym Leader knew better, so she went for a special attack just like Brandon. "Use Water Pulse!" she ordered.

But this time I had a counter. "Shock Wave, let's go!" It created two blue orbs of electricity above its head and above its tail. Then it fired a blue lightning bolt from each orb at the blue orb of water.

"You are full of surprises!" Candice exclaimed excitedly. "You don't understand how much fun I'm having!"  _Well, at least one of us is,_ I thought. How was I supposed to beat Froslass when she had two different super effective moves, especially when she could maneuver with her ghostly movements? Not to mention she could dodge or counter every one of my moves.

"Paul, focus!" I heard Reggie encourage. I didn't have to look at him to know he was wearing his trademark smile.

And for the first time in years, it gave me hope.

I took a deep breath and felt myself relax. "Lairon, use Rock Slide!" I commanded. Once again the rocks began to fall towards Froslass, but she dodged them. This time, though, I had an idea. "Hit the rocks back up with Iron Head!" Candice looked surprised as Lairon began to slam into the rocks. They flew back towards Froslass, and a majority of them hit their target. But Froslass fought back with two Water Pulses, which hit my Pokémon square on.

Resulting in another tie.

This was getting old, not to mention the battle was going by really quickly. I returned Lairon and brought out the only Pokémon I had left: Magmar. There was no way he could lose, especially when his opponent was Abomasnow. All I had to do was stay calm, and everything would turn out just fine. I mean, sure, its Snow Warning ability was kind of annoying. Hail was never fun. But other than that, what was the worst that could happen? "Abomasnow, use Water Pulse!"

Oh, come  _ON_! Could I have just  _one_ break?! Besides, shouldn't the hail have been freezing it or something?! Seriously, someone throw me a bone!

Magmar dodged the blue sphere, but instantly had to jump out of the way of another. Abomasnow was firing them rapidly, probably not wanting to experience the same the same thing that happened to Froslass. With him jumping around, it was hard for him to pull off an attack, and I had no way of countering Water Pulse this time. The best thing I could hope for was Abomasnow tiring out for even just a few seconds. Of course, fate likes toying with me, so Magmar ended up getting slightly blindsided by the hail and lost sight of the most recent Water type attack. The sphere collided with him, and he skidded along the ground. He didn't look so good; all of his dodging had worn him down, and things weren't looking any better when Abomasnow went for a close range attack. "Good battle, Paul," Candice began, sounding calm for the first time, "but I think this is over." I grunted. It just wasn't fair. After we had gotten so far, just to fail due to unfortunate circumstances. "Abomasnow, use-"

"Paul!" All of us snapped our heads to the stands, and I'm pretty sure I was the one most caught off guard.

"Ash?" I questioned. When did he get there? How long had he been there? And why _was_ he there? Though, my questions didn't really matter at the moment. All that I need to know was that he was there, with his always-present smile. His Pikachu on his right shoulder as always...and Chimchar was on his left.

"You can do it!" Ash encouraged. "You're so close, Paul! Don't give up! You can win!"

"Chu-Pi!" his Pokémon shouted, a determined look on his face.

"Chim-Chimchar!" the small Fire type cried out, sporting the same look as Pikachu.

I stared at the trio, and their words finally hit me. I looked back at the field; Candice and her Pokémon were still looking into the stands, and Magmar was gaining back his breath, but with him sitting down like he was, he honestly looked a little pathetic. Suddenly, a little spark flared in my chest.

What the hell was I doing?

I am Paul Shinji Zuckerman. For years I relied only on my strength, and perhaps they weren't the best of methods, but they were effective. I didn't rely on chance and luck, only skill. Who cared if I didn't get thrown a bone? That never stopped me before. My Pokémon and I defeated our opponents with strategy and strength, and we didn't sit around and wait for them to end it. I didn't need encouragement. I'll admit it felt nice, but I didn't require it. And I certainly never doubted myself, not when it came to battles. How could I have seriously let one battle change me this drastically and make me this unfocused and unconfident?

If Ash was right about one thing, it was that I would  _win_.

"Magmar!" My shout snapped the attention back to the battle. "Show Candice why she's wrong with Rock Tomb!"

He nodded and lifted his hands as he began to create a boulder. "That's not going to happen!" Candice countered. "Use Water Pulse!" Abomasnow tried, but nothing happened. "Wh-what?"

Water Pulse had run out of power, and now Candice seemed to be flustered. Before she could call out another attack, Magmar was finished. "Throw it!" I commanded. My Fire type threw the boulder, which made contact and forced Abomasnow back before trapping it in the smaller boulders the impact had created. The Grass-Ice type quickly freed itself, but I wasn't done. "Now use Flamethrower!" He sprang to his feet and fired his most powerful attack.

Candice finally looked a little angry. "Fight back with Focus Blast!" she shouted. Abomasnow put its hands together and created the light blue ball of energy. It then fired it at Magmar...

But we weren't going to let it get any farther than halfway.

"Magmar, give it  _everything **you've GOT!**_ " I roared. He made the stream more powerful than ever before, and it quickly propelled the Focus Blast right at the Gym Leader's last Pokémon. It was hit by the energy, and not even seconds after the flames consumed it. It let out a cry before the flames disappeared, and then soon after the hail subsided right before it crashed to the ground.

The Gym Leader Candice was out of useable Pokémon.

"Abomasnow is unable to battle!" the ref declared. "Magmar is the winner, and the victory goes to the challenger, Paul!"

We won.

We really, really won.

On the inside, I was celebrating like crazy, but on the outside I was finally myself again, the usual stoic look on my face. Okay, not really. There was a small hint of a smile, and I secretly fist pumped. Somewhere in the background I could hear Haley, Chase, Ash and his Pokémon all cheering for my win, and I could just imagine the proud look on Reggie's face. I heard footsteps rapidly approaching, and I turned just in time for Haley to leap into a hug.

"Paul, you did it!" she cried, and when she pulled back I saw her beaming. "That was awesome!"

"I did say you've got this," Chase pointed out as he rubbed my hair.

I pushed his hand off. "Of course," I replied. "What else did you expect?" They didn't seem to mind that I brushed off their compliments; they actually looked rather happy that I finally had some spine back.

"Nice job, Paul," Reggie complimented as he walked up, Ash by his side. "You did an amazing job out there."

I looked up at my older brother's proud smile, and I couldn't help but give a smile of my own. "Thanks," I stated.

"Paul." Now I looked to Candice, who was flanked by the ref and Zoey, the latter of who seemed peeved. But Candice didn't; she actually seemed proud herself. "I've gotta say, you really showed off your kiai today! You never gave up, and that's something I always like to see!"

Zoey huffed. "It was luck," she grumbled. "Stupid, dumb luck."

"Well, if you want to see him in top form," Haley began to offer, a look of smugness on her face, "why don't you come to Lake Acuity in nine days? I can assure you there will be no dumb luck there."

The red haired girl eyed her, and then she sighed. "No, I should probably get moving," she informed. "I'll just take your word for it that he's usually a good battler."

"We are battling in nine days, right?" Ash asked.

I turned to him and his two Pokémon. All three of them were staring at me intently. Soon, I gave them a smirk. "Don't think today means anything," I warned. "You're not going to win, that I can promise."

They gave me smirks of their own as that usual spark flared in their eyes. "I'm sorry, Paul, but you won't be able to keep that promise. We're the ones who are going to win!" he declared.

"Pi-ka!" the Electric type agreed.

"Chim!" Chimchar responded, nodding.

In return, I chuckled. "Well, Paul," Candice piped up, "I'm sure you want this." The ref held out a tray with a badge designed like an iceberg. "The Icicle Badge. Take it; you most definitely earned it."

So I did.

Only two more badges to go.

But it really should have been one...

"So Candice!" Haley exclaimed. "You and I battle tomorrow, right?"

The Gym Leader beamed. "Absolutely!" she agreed. "I'm expecting you to show me that kiai of yours, understand?"

"Loud and clear, Chief!" Haley replied.

"And then I think we start helping Paul train," Chase voiced.

"Who said I needed help?" I questioned, to which he and Haley rolled their eyes good naturally.

"Too bad, Paul, we're gonna help anyway," Reggie decided.

"It won't matter, cause I'm going to win!" Ash boasted.

I smirked at him again. "We'll see about that."

I finally had my confidence back.


	33. For Our Pride

Chase could only stare at the field with wide eyes. "So is she...always like this?" he asked.

"She does seem...much more fired up than I would have imagined," Reggie added, a permanent sweat drop on the side of his face.

Paul found himself with the same wide-eyed expression as Chase. "Even by her standards this is pretty extreme," he commented.

Haley and Candice had been going at it for what seemed like hours. The challenger had quickly cleaned house on the first three Pokémon with Infernape, Empoleon, and Umbreon, but Abomasnow was giving her quite a bit of trouble. Because for some reason, she had decided on Staraptor.

Could Paul ask why? That seemed incredibly stupid, and even when all three boys voiced their low opinion of the choice, Haley was adamant in her ways. Of course, that just meant more trouble for the Predator Pokémon, but at the very least she was hanging in there. So was Abomasnow, who just didn't feel like quitting.

"Not yet!" Candice shouted. "You can't break our will! Abomasnow, use Ice Punch!"

"We'll see about that!" Haley countered. "Staraptor, dodge and go in for a Close Combat!"

The bird swooped under Abomasnow's blue fist and began to attack relentlessly with her wings and talons. The Grass-Ice type flinched from every blow, but finally got the chance to throw the Ice Punch, sending Staraptor back towards her Trainer. "Good! Now use Ice Shard!"

"Staraptor, shake it off and go for an Aerial Ace!" Her Flying Pokémon quickly did just that and barely avoided the small icicles as she took flight. Staraptor sped off and landed a direct hit on her opponent's stomach, knocking it back and  _finally_ making it faint.

"Abomasnow is unable to battle!" the ref declared. Even he seemed surprised at the girls' intensity. "Staraptor is the winner, and the victory goes to the challenger, Haley!"

Haley and her surprisingly victorious Staraptor cheered, with the latter looking the most excited. "We did it, Haley!" she chirped.

"Yep!" Haley agreed. "Welcome to the I-beat-the-Gym-Leader's-Last-Pokémon Club!"

Paul practically teleported to her side. "Wait,  _that_ was your reasoning for putting her at such a disadvantage?" he questioned unbelievingly.

"Hey, don't worry about it. She won, after all," Haley pointed out with a smile. "Besides, I wouldn't have put her out there if I thought she would be in danger." There was this evil glint in her eye as she stated, "It's called faith."

He frowned, slouched his shoulders, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You don't have to remind me," he muttered.

"Come on, Paul, stop being so mopey!" his friend told him, playfully swaying him back and forth. "I won, and now we can train to your little heart's content."

As much as he didn't want to, Paul let a small smile slip its way onto his face. "Nice battle, Haley," Reggie complimented as he and Chase finally joined the other two. "You're definitely your brother's sister." He chuckled, and Paul barely caught the slightly evil tone to it. "Though, you have more passion than he could have ever hoped for. I wouldn't be surprised if you could beat him with ease. Oh, how I'd love to see that."

"Hate to break it, Reggie, but right now he's taking on the Orre Colosseum," Paul informed. That place was said to be the hardest challenge in the entire world. Either that or Mt. Battle, which the younger brother decided it would be best not to tell his older brother his old rival had cleared it.

"Not to mention he's apparently going to fight Riley Wes Yuslia," Haley added. "That guy's the highest ranked Trainer in the entire region."

Reggie and Chase looked at Haley with wide eyes, both of them thinking,  _Sedais are monsters!_ Reggie quickly recovered and smiled smugly. "So he's finally tackling the Orre challenges, huh?" he stated. He chuckled again. "He's two years behind on that one."  _Nice try, Reggie,_ Paul thought.  _But at the end of the day, he's still going._

"Your brother had some real kiai in him!" Candice piped up, and the four looked to her and the ref. The Gym Leader looked very triumphant. "And you do too, Haley! Your focus and will bowled us over totally."

Staraptor puffed up with pride, which was a nice contrast to her usual serious and non-boasting nature. Of course, the moment was ruined when Infernape and Empoleon released themselves and glowed with pride. The Predator Pokémon groaned. "You two are a bunch of killjoys," she grumbled.

"Yeah, guys, let her have the spotlight," their Trainer agreed. They just snickered, and everyone rolled their eyes. Haley returned all three of them.

"Anyway, here's your Icicle Badge," Candice said, handing her the small metal object.

Haley took it, beaming with pride. "You guys going to Sunyshore next?" Chase asked.

"Does that sound good, Paul?" Haley inquired. He nodded.

"I'd be careful," Candice warned. "Volkner's the toughest Gym Leader in Sinnoh; he sometimes goes up against Elite Four members, and he's almost won on several occasions." Then she put a finger to her chin as she thought. "Though, for some reason, I haven't heard from him in a while."

"Probably busy," Haley brushed off. "He is a Gym Leader."

Candice giggled. "True. Not to mention I've been busy with the Snowpoint City Trainer's School. It's not like I have that much time, either."

"Speaking of time, we have 7 and a half days left," Chase brought up. "We shouldn't waste any more." Paul whole-heartedly agreed. Even though his confidence was starting to come back, he wasn't going to be as cocky as he had been with the other battles. This was a full battle, so it required his full attention.

"Then we won't keep you any longer," Candice decided. "Paul, good luck, and show off that kiai spirit of yours!"

Paul nodded. "Thanks," he replied, and his three companions said their goodbyes before exiting the Gym. "I want to evolve Magmar," Paul suddenly declared.

The three looked at him. "Do you have a Magmarizer?" Chase inquired.

"Reggie, it's at the house, right?" the younger brother remembered.

His older sibling nodded. "I can have someone send it," he informed. "It shouldn't take long."

"I'll train Magmar," Haley offered. "He and Luxray can go at it."

"Actually, I was hoping to," Chase voiced. "There's a Pokémon I need to be traded as well. I have the item at my grandmother's, so it won't take long to grab."

"A Metal Coat?" Haley guessed.

Chase shook his head. "It's actually not one of my Bug types," he revealed. "Even if I did have a Metal Coat, I'm not evolving my Scyther." With that, he began to run to the entrance of the city, leaving the other three to wonder what Pokémon he wanted to evolve.

While they waited for Chase, Paul began to think about the team he wanted to use. He knew for a fact he was keeping Magmar - since he was going out of his way to evolve him - and Electabuzz was quickly replacing Torterra as the "always on the roster" Pokémon. He mentally frowned. His first Pokémon and friend was being left in the dust. So he decided the starter would be brought into battle as well. After a while he added Ursaring, figuring that maybe this time his ability would be useful, not to mention his strength and endurance. Weavile soon followed, perhaps for the speed. It took a little while to figure out his final member, but he finally decided on Honchkrow. His team, he realized after he told Reggie all of the changes he wanted made, was going to be the same team after Chimchar's switch in Trainers.

How fitting.

It wasn't long before he had the new team clipped to his belt and had the Magmarizer in hand, and Haley's Pokémon were almost ready to go. Chase had come back, his Bug types in their Poké Balls and the item he needed in his pocket. Reggie, while getting Paul's team together, had gotten three of his own Pokémon: Sandslash, Ninetails, and a Pokémon that Reggie never showed to his younger brother. He said it was a surprise, as if this was going to be the day they battled.

No, Paul decided he could wait just a bit longer.

Then Chase suggested that they train at Lake Acuity itself, so that Paul and his Pokémon would have a feel for the area they were going to fight at. No one argued, figuring it was a good idea, but Paul realized he had another reason to add to that when they traded. He looked at the Pokémon silhouettes on the screen, his eyes wide, and then dug through Chase's jacket pocket. His fingers hit something smooth and thin, and he gripped it between his fingers before pulling it out. His eyes went wider. "You want a _Kingdra_?" he realized as he stared at the Dragon Scale, a hole pierced at the top so a string could be woven through.

The brown haired boy beamed. "Can't have an entire team of Bug types without some kind of force to back me up," he rationalized. Paul continued to stare at the blue and yellow scale like it was pure gold, Haley was bewildered, and Reggie looked impressed.

With a Sedra now in his belt, the four headed for the train that would take them north to the lake. Paul wondered, as they rode the train powered by an Ampharos, if this would be considered unfair. He may not have like the kindhearted naïve idiot, but he was never going to fight dirty.  _Then again,_ Paul reasoned,  _Reggie never said anything against doing this. Hell, he's going along with it, and there's nothing stopping him from coming up to the lake to train._ He exhaled. "Having some moral conflicts?" Haley asked.

Paul looked at her. She had finally ditched the white hat and gloves, but still felt it too cold to part ways with the red sweater and black leggings. "Think I just got over them," he replied as he went backing to staring out the window.

"Good," she stated. "There's nothing wrong with using Lake Acuity to train. If he wanted-"

"You think I didn't just have that conversation?" he pointed out with a smirk.

Haley smiled. "I should have known," she said. "You're a pretty smart guy. When, you know, you aren't flustered."

He chuckled. "It's weird," he brought up. "I want the strength I've built up over these last five years, but I don't want to be as heartless. I just...I don't know how to mesh them together."

"You'll figure it out," she assured. "I actually think that loss was good in some ways. You already seem a bit more humble."

The teen hummed in agreement. "I just wish I hadn't been ground into dust in the process," he noted dully.

"Yeah. I bet Brandon was thinking, 'Come back when you're banned from  _tournaments_!'" She grinned at him. "Fuckin legendaries, amiright?" Paul chuckled.

The group finally made it to the lake, only to discover that the battlefield right outside the Pokémon Center was now a 10' hole. Apparently it was undergoing repairs, and it definitely wouldn't be repaired by the day of the match. Reggie sighed but didn't seem defeated, as if he already had a plan - a plan he didn't feel like divulging to the teens. Deciding to ignore it, Paul suggested that he and Chase evolve their traded Pokémon first, since Sedra wouldn't be able to do much from the water while Magmar couldn't go in the water. Of course, Haley and Reggie were there to help, but everyone agreed to the idea so that the Pokémon could be swapped back that much faster.

That decision began the toughest training session Paul had faced up to that point.

Paul thought that it was strange to think of it that way. He had been called a merciless drill sergeant, a dictator of a Trainer, an evil commander with a mind set on conquest, and even a cold-blooded killing machine. His team never thought he went as far as people said, but there was no denying Paul trained every Pokémon he used at a high intensity. When he began traveling with Haley, there were times where he trained with her as well, and she could be considered a drill sergeant in her own right, though she definitely had more mercy.

But despite his team of Bug types, Chase was no slouch. His trusty Butterfree proved to be more than a match, his all powerful Pinsir and Heracross made a dangerous duo, his speedy Scyther could keep up with the best of them, and his defensive Shuckle made sure every single move against him counted. Even his ace in the hole, the mighty Kingdra (who evolve after only thirty minutes), proved that the water made her no less powerful.

And after training with his brother, Paul took back everything he had ever said...somewhat.

His brother was still as skilled as ever. Ninetails out foxed him with almost every move she made, training Paul to out predict his opponent's attacks. Sandslash moved like a speedy ninja, keeping Paul on his toes. And the mysterious Pokémon, Slowking...man, that guy proved to be just as an unmovable wall as Shuckle! Every hit counted on the Pokémon Paul didn't know his brother had - scratch that, all of the moves he made had to count on  _all_ of Reggie's Pokémon.

How was he ever going to beat him when the time came?

Of course, training didn't go without a few distractions and hiccups and the usual bullshit. Paul was pretty much used to it in Sinnoh. Sometimes they would argue over moves and strategies, sometimes they accused each other of cheap shots, and sometimes it turned from training Paul to a small skirmish between Paul and someone or two someones and leaving him out entirely. Like when Reggie first introduced Slowking, saying the Royal Pokémon had once taken out half of Ray's team including a Dark type that he had, which then led to him saying Slowking could probably beat Umbreon. Bad move, since Haley was suddenly barking at him to prove it. The two went into a full on frenzy, trying to prove whether the Dark type was better or the Psychic type. Paul and Chase, meanwhile, were forced to sit on the sidelines, contemplating on whether they should have been amazed by the power or annoyed by the lack of progression. Eventually the battle came to an end with no winner, thanks to it being stopped short by Haley's growling stomach. Reggie laughed, dropping the serious/kind of scary look. "Man, your brother really gets into it," Chase muttered. "He's kind of frightening like that, actually."

"Yeah," Paul said kind of nervously. "That's my brother."

For six days they trained, only stopping for food breaks, sleeping, and the random distractions. Paul was amazed at how tough his team looked by the end of it. Maybe it was because of how important this battle was, or maybe it was because they were training with multiple people, but they seemed to get more out of this session than any other session they had ever done before. His team seemed stronger and faster than ever, and determination flooded the air.

Ash stood no chance.

On the morning of the battle, just when the sun was beginning to rise, Paul went to the edge of the lake, breathing in the fresh air. He felt strangely excited, and he knew he needed to calm down. One quick warm-up with his Pokémon should do the trick. "Hey." He turned around to find Chase smiling. Paul couldn't help but be reminded of the first day they met, and he gave a small smile back. Chase then walked over, and the two stood at the edge and stare across the lake. "I'm not going to be able to watch the battle today," he informed. "My grandma needs me to help her out with something and it can't wait." He looked at Paul and smiled bigger. "But I don't need to be here to know you'll win."

Paul smirked. "Remember that day we met, when you tried to push me into the pond?" he reminisced.

Chase laughed. "Yeah, but you stopped before you hit the water, and then you were like, 'What didja do that for?! Stop being a bully!'" he reenacted.

How ironic. "And then I tried to push you in, but since you grabbed me I had to stop or else we would have both gone in," Paul continued.

"Oh man, Amber would have been  _pissed_ ," Chase laughed. "'What the heck are you doing, jumping into the pond in the middle of winter? Are you  _trying_ to catch a cold?!'"

"Reggie would have said something along the lines of having just washed them," Paul decided.

"I think it would have been, 'I just  _dried_ them'," a voice corrected before both boys were pushed forward. But not even a second later, Reggie had the backs of their jackets in his grasp.

The boys turned their heads, and Paul frowned. "You're not funny," he stated.

Reggie just grinned. "Sorry, couldn't help myself," he replied. He helped them back into a more comfortable position. "So, you're leaving?"

"Yeah, Grandma really needs my help," Chase said. "But thanks for letting me help train."

"You really are a good kid," Reggie told him. Chase smiled. "Hey, can you do something for me?" The boy nodded. "I was hoping you could talk to Amber." He looked at Reggie with surprise, and then frowned as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at the ground. "She really misses you, you know. And she regrets what she did." Now Chase looked back up, surprised again. "She doesn't expect you to come back. In fact, she doesn't expect you to call. I think you should, though. It would really make her day."

Chase continued to look at Reggie, and then looked at Paul. The younger brother didn't exactly know what Chase's sister did - though he suspected that was the straw that broke the Numel's back - but it didn't take long for him to agree with Reggie. If these past few days had taught him anything, it was that Chase could have been mistaken on all his assumptions. "Alright," Chase finally decided.

Reggie smiled. "Thanks." Chase nodded. "Well, take care, okay?"

"Yeah," Chase promised. He looked back at Paul. "Good luck today." Paul nodded, and the brown haired boy smiled. Then he released his Heracross. "Grandma needs us to go look for something in the woods, and I need your strength and sharp nose, alright?"

"Hera," the Bug type replied. The two ran off, waving goodbye as they did.

Paul watched them disappear into the trees. "You ready for today?" Reggie asked, prompting Paul to look up at his smiling face.

"Yeah," Paul said. "To be honest...I'm a little excited."

His brother had a look of determination on his face. "Good to hear. That's just going to make the battle all the more enjoyable." Reggie pointed to Paul's belt. "You thinking of doing a bit of warm-up?"

"That was the plan," he revealed. "But I can do it on my own."

"Fine by me. I was just asking." Paul smiled.

So the Trainer got to the warm-up he wanted. Since the battle would be soon, he didn't want to overdo anything; all he wanted to see was the power of each of his Pokémon. When Paul was halfway done, Haley walked out, still stretching her arms. The brothers looked at her with questioning eyes. "I had breakfast, I promise," she told them. They each raised an eyebrow. "I swear! Cross my heart. Look, it was a breakfast burrito."

Weavile flipped out. "You had a  _breakfast burrito_?" Paul repeated, his eyes wide.

"It didn't have eggs," Haley clarified with a huff. The boys sighed in relief and Haley rolled her eyes. "By the way, I saw Ash and his friends making their way to the Pokémon Center. If you're still warming up, you might want to finish it soon."

"I'll get on that," Paul stated.

Warm-ups continued, and finally Paul was onto his last: Electabuzz. He ordered him to use Thunder Punch, and the Electric type punched the ground. Reggie and Haley were observing, with Reggie being very proud. "It's amazing how you've been able to prefect your Pokémon's moves in just ten days," he voiced.

"That Thunder Punch was pretty strong," Haley added.

Paul nodded and exhaled as a breeze swept through the air. He didn't know whether the sudden goosebumps were from that or from the anticipation for the battle soon to come. That reminded him of something that had been nagging at the back of his mind. "I'm remember what you asked me ten days ago, Reggie," he said. "About if I wanted to battle." He turned to his older brother. "Why have a battle now?"

"Your battle with Brandon had a pretty big effect on you," Reggie pointed out. "Now seemed like the perfect time."

"Okay, but why?" Paul insisted.

"I'm sure Ash is going to have the same question." Reggie smiled bigger. "Think you can wait until he gets here?"

His little brother sighed. "I guess," he reluctantly agreed. He turned around and was about to go back to the warm-up when he was attacked with a hug from behind.

"Aw, come on, Paul, don't be such a grump," Haley told him. "You've waited all this time; what's a tad bit longer?"

He chuckled. "Alright, I won't complain," he promised.

"Oo, after the battle's over, can we go explore the city?" Haley asked. "Please? We haven't had a chance to do that, and I've been dying to get my hands on some hot chocolate."

A date with Haley? Of course he was going to say yes. "Can it just be the two of us?" he whispered.

Haley huffed and rolled her eyes but said, "Sure." Then she lowered her voice. "And if you win, I'll treat you to anything you want."

An idea rang in his head. He smirked. " _Any_  thing I want?" he questioned.

"Anything you want," she repeated, matching his smirk.

Oh, if Ash wasn't going to win before, he certainly wasn't going to now.

It would be about 20 more minutes before Reggie suddenly shouted, "Hey, here they come!" Paul returned his Electabuzz, and turned to his rival. The air had just the right amount of tension; there was no anger or annoyance this time. It was perfect for battle. "Thank you for coming," Reggie greeted as he stood up. "You know, the reason I asked you guys to have a full battle today is because I think this is a great way to test how far both of you are right now. I've seen both of you fight, and it's safe to say you're completely different. But you're also really similar." What the hell was Reggie talking about? There was no way he and Ash had anything in common other than them being Trainers. "Your training methods are different, but in the end you both want to become stronger. I think now's the time to test each other's weaknesses and strengths since, as rivals, you should know those." Paul looked at Reggie's eyes, and he could practically see all of the battles he had with Haley's brother. He briefly wondered what Reggie's training methods were besides being a part-time Breeder. "And I figure through this battle, you'll both evolve as Trainers."

"Me, evolve?" Ash questioned.

Paul seriously considered the fact that Ash was thinking he would evolve like a Pokémon.  _Kid._ "So, where do we battle?" Paul asked, remembering that the battlefield was still under maintenance.

Reggie smiled. "Right here," he informed.

"Right here," Ash repeated. "Really." He looked around, probably looking for chalk lines.

"Well, we can't use the field at the Pokémon Center," Reggie reminded, "so I thought it might be nice to give it your all in the great outdoors."

"I thought the field was already outdoors," Haley whispered to Paul.

"I think he meant to say 'without constrictions'," he replied.

"Sure!" Ash agreed. "How's that sound, Paul?"

Like he had a choice. What was he going to say, "no let's go back to Snowpoint"? "It doesn't matter to me," he decided to answer with.

"That settles it," Reggie said.

"Good, we're all decided!" a voice called out. Everyone looked up to find a referee coming down in a hot air balloon. He wore the official yellow long sleeve and white pants, and his olive hair was short and spiky.

The balloon touched down, and Reggie smiled. "You ready to referee?" he asked.

The man jumped out. "I sure am," he confirmed. "And now for my help."

"That's us!" a trio of idiots exclaimed, wearing all black and black netting over their faces, as if they were stage hands for a play.

"Wha- are you serious?" Haley grumbled.

"Keep an eye on them, I don't want them doing anything stupid," Paul muttered.

"Agreed." Meowth pushed a button, and the balloon disappeared to be replaced by an official scoreboard. "Wow, Reggie, why not just order some bleachers while you're at it?" Haley stated with sarcasm.

Reggie laughed. "Hey, if this is going to be a full battle, we should have an official scoreboard," he reasoned.

"How much did this cost?" Paul asked, considering if he had to pay a portion. He knew Reggie would say he didn't have to, but Paul felt as if he would need to.

"Olivier is an old friend, and I needed a favor," Reggie explained. "Don't worry about it, Paul. Even if I did have to pay, the only price I'm asking for is a good battle."

Paul looked at him, and after a few seconds a fire sparked in his black eyes. "Consider yourself paid."

The five spectators sat on a log they had pulled up, and both Trainers took to their sides of the field. "We now begin a six-on-six full battle," Olivier announced once everyone was in place. "There will be no time limit, and both sides may exchange Pokémon freely as desired. The battle will be over when all six Pokémon on either side are unable to continue." Paul tried his best not to show the few Butterfrees that were flying in his stomach, filled with excitement and nervousness.  _No, no need to be nervous. Paul Shinji, you can do this._ "We will now use coin toss to see who will mount the first attack. Alright then, Trainers, heads or tails, what will it be?"

"I call heads!" Ash decided.

"Tails, then," Paul said. He really seemed to always be stuck with tails.

The virtual coin flipped on the screen, and for once it landed on heads. "It's heads, so Ash has the honors," Olivier stated.

Ash took out a Poké Ball, and Paul was ready for whatever came his way.

He wasn't going to lose.

"Alright, Buizel, I chose you!" Ash shouted.

Paul knew who was going first, then. "Torterra, stand by for battle!"

The two Pokémon emerged, both of them ready to go.  _Okay, buddy, start us out strong,_ he thought.  _And hang in there. We've got to wait._ He didn't have to for very long. As soon as Team Rocket entered the Pokémon onto the screen and Olivier declared the battle could begin, Ash recalled his Water type, deciding it wasn't a good choice.  _So, not going to show me that faith-over-logic,_ Paul realized.  _Interesting._ Ash then sent out his Gliscor. "Paul, remember Gliscor?" he asked. "You met it back when it was still a Gligar."

 _That little runt from Gliscor's pack,_ Paul remembered. Of course, he also didn't like to be reminded of that day, since it was within the two weeks Haley was gone. It was probably the only day of clarity, but not by much.

"Gliscor, Sand Attack!" Ash ordered. Paul instantly knew what he was up to. He was going to blind Torterra and then have his Pokémon leap into the air. It was an old trick, and pretty clever against most opponents. Paul wasn't most.

First he allowed the attack to play out, and he heard Torterra's grunt, saying he was ready.  _Now, let's see if I can make you feel like you have control._ "Giga Drain!" he commanded, and the green vines shot out of the sand, landing where Gliscor had once been. True to thought, the Fang Scorpion Pokémon was up in the air, ready to strike. _Then do it._

"Gliscor, use X-Scissor!" The claws glowed white, and Gliscor created an X as he dove towards his opponent. Torterra took it, although Paul did realize the move was super effective.  _Hang in there. Shake it off._ His starter was pushed back, but by no means was he ready to give in.

 _Good job,_ Paul praised. "Frenzy Plant!" Usually a bad choice in a battle like this, but Paul was confident he knew what would happen. Torterra created the throne vines, and they shot towards Gliscor, but he jumped up, causing them to miss.  _Alright, now just hold out a little bit longer. I know you can._

"Now's our chance!" Ash declared. "Use Fire Fang!" Gliscor ignited his fangs and swooped in for a bite before retreating. "Now use X-Scissor!" Perhaps he was figuring if he kept up with rapid-fire attacks, Torterra would be on his knees and at his mercy. That overconfidence would soon bite him back. Ash ordered a Steel Wing after the successful attack, and Gliscor charged towards a weak-looking Continent Pokémon.

One thing though: he wasn't.

"Torterra, Crunch!" Paul ordered, knowing his starter could move again. And despite the successful hit, Torterra easily chomped down on the tail that dangled in front of his face. Gliscor cried out in pain and began to struggle.  _Perfect! Exactly as planned._ "Now, Giga Drain!" he ordered. The green vines once again shot out of the stone peaks, this time wrapping around the captured opponent. Now Gliscor's power was being drained and brought back to Torterra, who definitely needed the pick-me-up.

Ash called out for a Fire Fang, and Gliscor chomped down on the vines. And while Torterra slightly flinched, that was nothing compared to the Ground-Flying type, looking in quite a lot of pain. "Gliscor, return!" Ash beamed his Pokémon back in, but despite Torterra's heavy breathing, Paul didn't do the same.  _I know it hurts, but just one more. I think the next one's going to be it._ "Staraptor, I chose you!"  _Yes!_ Paul thought as the Predator Pokémon appeared.  _Okay, this is the last battle before you get a well need break, buddy. Make it count._ "Alright, Brave Bird!" Ash commanded.

Paul was ready. "Use Stone Edge!" Torterra created blue rings around his body, which soon turned into stones. He then sent them right at the oncoming Staraptor and sent him crashing to the ground.  _Just as planned._ It really was amazing how easily Paul had been able to predict Ash. For any other opponent, he would have never considered thinking so far in advance. The black haired boy, however, was like reading an open book with the book turning the pages for him. It was almost  _too_ easy. Now, with his purpose fulfilled for now, Paul finally gave his starter a rest. Next, he needed that speed and power, and he had just the Pokémon to do it. "Weavile, stand by for battle!"

Staraptor slowly stood up as Weavile appeared on the field, and soon the Flying type took to the skies again. "Quick Attack!" Staraptor charged right into Weavile, and Paul's Pokémon braced for it. He slid back a bit, but nothing too drastic.

"Use Swords Dance!" Paul ordered. Weavile held out his claws and then swung them around as they began to glow purple and grow longer, raising his attack. Ash had Staraptor charge again, this time with Aerial Ace. Paul knew that if he didn't cancel that attack, it could mess up his roll. "Use Blizzard!" Weavile summoned the snow, and it hit Staraptor directly, forcing him to stop his attack. "Now use Metal Claw!" Weavile jumped onto the bird's back, surprising him, before attacking with glowing white claws. Once again, the Predator Pokémon hit the ground. "Go after it, quick!" His Pokémon began doing backflips, and Paul sighed internally.  _"Let Infernape train with him, it'll make him faster," she says...yeah, either that or a showboat like him._ When he heard Ash order a Close Combat, he decided Weavile was going to get some serious discipline after this was over. "Metal Claw!" The Dark-Ice type tried to hit the Flying type, but he dodged the claws, and with just a few hits from the wings, Weavile lost focus.  _Serious discipline._ "Blizzard!" But this time Staraptor flew above the ice and snow, and when it disappeared, Brave Bird successfully hit, knocking him out.

"Weavile is unable to battle, Staraptor is the winner!" Olivier announced.

Paul returned his fallen Pokémon and made a sideways glance at Haley. "What?" she questioned. "If Weavile doesn't have the ability to take things seriously, that falls on you, not me."

He looked back at the battlefield without a word as he grabbed the next Poké Ball.  _A hot chocolate, a chocolate chip cookie, and a kiss, and it better be worth it,_ he told himself, as if he were telling her how it would make him not bitter towards her all too playful Fire type Pokémon. Then he grinned internally.  _Oh, who am I kidding? It totally will._ "Alright, Staraptor, return!" Ash shouted. Not that his switch would affect who he was bringing out next.

"Electabuzz, stand by for battle!"

"Grotle, I chose you!"

It kind of sucked that Paul had replaced Fire Punch...as if! That would be assuming Electabuzz was out there to attack. But from Ash's face, that's what he figured Paul was doing.

The kid just kept flipping the pages.

"Alright, Grotle, use Energy Ball!" Ash ordered. The Grass type fired the bluish-green ball of energy, but Paul was once again was ready.

"Light Screen, let's go!" Electabuzz put up the yellow cube of energy, decreasing Energy Ball's power. Now that all special attacks were reduced in damage, Paul returned the Electric type and switched him for Honchkrow. He noticed Grotle trembling in anger, and Paul knew what was coming.

"Alright, Grotle, you're on!" Ash agreed.  _And there's the faith-over-logic. I was wondering when that would show itself._ "It's time to show those two what you've got!" Paul smirked evilly. Oh, this was going to be good. "Razor Leaf!" Grotle fired the sharp leaves, but Honchkrow dodged all of them without batting an eye.

"Night Slash!" Paul commanded, and the Dark-Flying type approached with the purple wing. It was a direct hit, and the Grass type was pushed back. Then Ash ordered another Energy Ball, forgetting about the Light Screen and ignoring the type disadvantage. Grotle fired another Energy Ball, but Honchkrow wasn't fazed in the slightest.

And Paul saw the anger beginning to grow.

His left hand balled into a fist, and a small, almost unnoticeable, scowl began to form.  _Again,_ Paul remembered.  _So, is it going to be like all those other times?_ He cleared his thoughts.  _Forget about it for now. I need to focus on overwhelming him._ "Now use Haze!" Honchkrow began to create thick black smoke, obstructing Grotle's view. Ash ordered a Razor Leaf, which missed by miles, and Honchkrow landed another successful Night Slash.

Grotle, at this point, was panting pretty hard, and Ash noticed. "Use Synthesis!" he ordered, and Grotle began to use the sun's energy to heal himself.

Paul used Grotle's immobility to his advantage. "Sky Attack, quick!" His Pokémon dove, surrounded by a white aura.

Ash growled at the fact that his Pokémon still hadn't recovered but cut off the original command anyway. "Now Grotle, use Rock Climb!" Grotle's claws grew and glowed white as he tried to stomp the ground, but Honchkrow wasn't going to let him finish. He hit Grotle's belly as the Grass type got up on his hind legs, causing Ash to lose his first Pokémon.

"Grotle is unable to battle, and the winner is Honchkrow!"

Both Trainers recalled their Pokémon. Paul noticed how annoyed Ash looked.  _But it's not as bad as the times before,_ he observed.  _Maybe I haven't broken him that far yet. Besides, it's his own fault. He's the one who decided to keep using Grotle because of some petty grudge._ Pikachu suddenly looked very enthusiastic, and Paul realized who was coming next. He was ready for that. "Now let's move, Pikachu!" Ash shouted, and his trusted Pokémon took the field, poised and ready.

"Magmortar, stand by for battle!" As the newly evolved Pokémon made himself known, Paul was now kind of disappointed by Chase's absence. The guy really worked hard to help Magmar evolve, and it felt unfair that he couldn't see the fruit of his labor.  _We won't lose, though. All that work you put in won't go to waste._

"Pikachu, don't let your guard down!" Ash warned. His partner agreed.  _Up or down, it won't matter,_ Paul thought. "Use Quick Attack!" Pikachu charged quickly, and Paul briefly wondered if the hit would activate his Pokémon's ability. There was only one way to find out as Pikachu jumped, slamming into Magmortar's stomach and making him take a few steps back. He quickly recovered, right as Pikachu landed on his feet...and then was covered in flames.

Just kept flipping pages for him.

Pikachu shrugged off the burn and followed his orders by using Thunderbolt. "Magmortar, Flamethrower!" Paul ordered. The two projectiles collided in the middle of the field, creating a little golden explosion.

"Alright, Volt Tackle go!" Ash commanded. Pikachu charged again, this time surrounded by electricity.

"Use Rock Tomb!" Magmortar opened up one of the arm cannons and began firing boulders in Pikachu's path, and the small Electric type smash through them, clearly getting tired with each boulder. He finally hit one that sent him flying back and on the ground. Then small flames rose up again, and Pikachu flinched. "Magmortar, Smog!" His Pokémon opened his mouth and spewed out gray fog right for Pikachu.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.  _Seriously, what's that going to do?_ Paul thought. But then he realized Pikachu wasn't firing it the normal way.

No. The Mouse Pokémon got on his back and began spinning.

Whatever Pikachu was doing, it was pushing the fog back and then dispersed it completely. "What?" Paul questioned. That was something new.  _Well, I guess there are a few plot twists in the book._ But as soon as Pikachu jumped back on his feet, he was affected by burn again.  _Let's just finish him off, then._ "Magmortar, use Flamethrower!"

"Use Iron Tail from above!" The Electric type jumped up just in time, and his tail began to glow. It hit Magmortar right in the forehead, and he was pushed back a bit. Once more, burn took affect, and Ash decided to recall Pikachu back. His loyal Pokémon ran to his side, and Paul waited for the next one. "Buizel, I chose you!" Ash shouted, and once again the Water type was on the field. "Aqua Jet!" Buizel surrounded himself in water and flew right at his opponent. Magmortar was pushed again. "Water Pulse!" The Sea Weasel Pokémon formed the water sphere and threw it at the ground, creating a mini wave that was heading right for Paul's Pokémon.

 _So you think you're the only one who can use moves for defense?_ "Use Rock Tomb!" Magmortar quickly formed a barrier with the boulders. Perhaps because he was cocky, Ash ordered an Aqua Jet before the wave had completely disappeared. Sure, he had been right in believing Rock Tomb wouldn't hold against Water Pulse, but when Buizel went to charge, there was no one there. Magmortar had jumped up, and Paul called for another Smog attack. This time it hit, and once Magmortar landed, Paul recalled him. "Ursaring, stand by for battle!"

And with that, Ash knew all of Paul's Pokémon. Not that it mattered in the slightest, because Paul knew his entire team as well.

There was one Pokémon who hadn't made himself known.

"Buizel, use Water Gun, now!" Ash's Pokémon fired.

"Ursaring, Hammer Arm!" The Normal type's arm glowed white, and then he punched the Water Gun away. Paul loved how that literally made no sense but was fucking cool anyway. "Now use Bulk Up!" Ursaring became surrounded in a red aura and raised his physical power and defense. Ash didn't seem to care. Judging by the look on his face, he seemed cocky, prideful even. Paul didn't quite know what there was to be proud of; he had literally countered every attack...minus Weavile. Casualties were unavoidable sometimes. Still, the fact that Ash was having such a disregard for the obvious was more astounding than usual, especially when he ordered another Aqua Jet. Paul decided to counter with Slash. Buizel charged and did hit the Normal type directly, but Ursaring stood his ground and still managed to hit Buizel with his claws. "Focus Blast!" Ursaring charged the sphere and fired it at the Pokémon on the ground.

"Spin, Buizel! Use Aqua Jet!" Ash shouted.  _Again,_ Paul noted as Buizel created a water tornado and split the Focus Blast into mini shots, a few hitting Ursaring. "So Paul, how'd you like a taste of our Counter Shield?"  _So that's what it's called._ Ash chuckled, sounding quite proud of himself. "Pikachu's not the only one who can use it."  _Clearly._ "Buizel, use Sonic Boom!" The Water type's tails glowed white and he flipped around, sending a large white shockwave at the Ursaring, but once again Paul ordered a Hammer Arm. As his Normal type charged, he dodged the attack and rammed his arm into the smaller Pokémon, sending him into the ground. The Trainer went to recall his Pokémon, but Buizel gave him a thumbs-up. Against all better judgment, Ash agreed.  _He's...but Buizel..._ Paul sighed.  _If he's going to be so cocky and so detached from his Pokémon's actual condition, that's not my fault._

The younger Trainer ordered another Aqua Jet. "Focus Blast!" Paul ordered. Ursaring formed the sphere once more, and it hit Buizel directly, causing him to hit the ground, fainted.

"Buizel is unable to battle, and the winner is Ursaring!"

Now Ash seemed to realize his mistake, and he looked annoyed at himself.  _I'm more surprised he realized it,_ Paul thought.  _It's as if his initial instinct was to recall, and then decided against it at the last moment, and now he's annoyed for not going through._ "Alright, Staraptor, I chose you!" Ash called out, releasing his Flying type again. The first move he used was Aerial Ace, and Paul decided to counter with Hammer Arm once more. This time, Staraptor dodged it and then hit Ursaring directly before taking to the skies.

"Focus Blast!" With one hand, Ursaring created the energy and then threw it, hitting Staraptor directly on the back. The Predator Pokémon recovered quickly, and Ash ordered a Close Combat. Paul countered with Slash, which hit before Staraptor could. Not done just yet, Paul called for another Hammer Arm, and Ursaring slammed the bird into the ground. When the sand cleared, Ash learned he was done three Pokémon.

"Staraptor is unable to battle, and the winner is Ursaring!"

Once again, both Trainers recalled their Pokémon. Paul quickly settled on Electabuzz.

And Ash brought out the topic of interest.

Chimchar pointed to himself, and Paul didn't need Haley to understand that he was saying, "Watch me."  _As if I weren't,_ Paul thought.  _Let's see what you bring today._

"Flamethrower!"

Paul knew that at this point Light Screen had worn out. Of course, that was his reason for bringing out his Electric type. First things first, though, he needed to make sure nothing happened to Electabuzz. "Protect!" Electabuzz made the green barrier, completely negating Chimchar's attack. "Now use Light Screen!" Once again, his Pokémon created the yellow cube, and as soon as it was up, Paul recalled him. "Torterra, stand by for battle!" It was risky calling out his starter against the fast-moving chimp, but he had developed a way to make sure it was still possible for him to win. Chimchar attacked with Flame Wheel, which Paul countered with Stone Edge.

"Dodge it!" Ash commanded, and Chimchar quickly changed direction.

"Change up!" Torterra nodded, and then redirected the stones to follow Chimchar, surprising everyone except for the two who had trained with him for the past few days. It hit the Chimp Pokémon, and he skidded a few feet away from Torterra. He glared before being ordered to use Flamethrower.

Light Screen took into effect, halving the Fire type attack. Now Ash realized his Pokémon was at a grave disadvantage: either hit from far away and not do much, or try and get up close only to be stopped by Stone Edge. Ash decided to recall Chimchar, and then the woman complained about the two not being able to make up their minds.  _You're the ones who decided to help out,_ Paul mumbled in his head. Gliscor took Chimchar's place.

Flipping pages. Ash just kept flipping his pages.

The look on Ash's face told Paul the younger Trainer believed he could take Torterra out in one go.  _That's a whole lot of confidence for a Pokémon who's been badly damaged,_ Paul thought.  _And if he thinks I'm messing around this time, that just proves he's too overconfident._ "X-Scissor!" Gliscor charged as he had before, creating the glowing X.

"Frenzy Plant!" Paul ordered. Torterra created the vines again, and this time each one hit Gliscor directly, sending the Fang Scorpion Pokémon crashing to the ground and instantly fainting. Ash returned his fourth fallen Pokémon, and then Pikachu offered his services. At first, Ash denied the request, probably because of typing. But Pikachu was persistent, so Ash agreed. Too bad, though, because Paul wasn't keeping Torterra out. He recalled his starter, knowing full well there was no way Torterra could stand up to Pikachu's speed. He sent out Ursaring instead.  _Now, let's see if I can get Guts to activate._

If there was one thing Paul knew about Ash, though, it was how the Kanto native was not one to give up. "Quick Attack!" Pikachu sprinted towards the Normal type, hitting his chest, but not doing much. Meanwhile, Ursaring punched him into the sky with Hammer Arm. Pikachu recovered, though, and dove right for him with Iron Tail. Paul ordered for a Focus Blast, but then he noticed Ursaring was paralyzed.  _Yes! ...I mean, no! I mean...oh, don't let what happened with Brandon happen here and therefore make my entire strategy fail._ Pikachu hit Ursaring right on the head, but when he landed on his feet, the burn he received from Magmortar affected him. Paul wasn't focused on that, though.  _Come on, Guts. Come on, Guts._ Ursaring recovered, and then his eyes glowed red.

"Finally," Paul stated with a smirk, although no one noticed the small hint of a sigh.  _Thank you, Arceus. Someone is smiling upon me today._ "Use Hammer Arm!" His Normal type made both arms glow white, but Pikachu fired off a Thunderbolt as a counterattack. The electricity hit first, but Ursaring fought through it and sent Pikachu flying...into the lake.  _Whoops._ There was some electricity that fired from the lake, but then there was nothing. Ash ran into the water, waiting for something to happen. For a while, nothing did, and even Paul began to panic a little. But luckily the resilient little guy walked out of the water, looking just fine. Ash walked over towards him, just in time to catch the Electric type as he fainted.

And so Ash had one.

Paul watched as his rival walked back to his spot, holding Pikachu in his arms as he did. He set him down with a smile, but then he stood up.

The glare he shot Paul only screamed, " _I WILL MURDER YOU._ "

He did everything in his power not to reel back. Ash was more pissed than he had ever been, or at least so it looked. The younger Trainer blinked as he looked at the scoreboard, and it was gone as quick as it came.  _Wha-what the hell? Every time I see something like this, he goes back to normal in an instant. I'm still not sure if I'm seeing things or not._ The mysterious boy sent out his final Pokémon, Chimchar. If he truly wanted to win, this was going to be completely uphill. Ash looked confident, though. "Chimchar, use Flame Wheel!" Chimchar charged towards his opponent.

"Ursaring, use Slash!" Paul commanded. The two attacks hit, and then Chimchar used Flamethrower. Unfortunately, Light Screen was gone, so Ursaring took the full force of the attack. Ash called out for Dig, now really piling on the attacks. But Paul wasn't going to wait around. "Use Hammer Arm on the ground!" Ursaring went to slam down, but Chimchar was quicker and landed his hit before using Flamethrower once more.

"Ursaring is unable to battle, and the winner is Chimchar!"

The Hoenn native returned his Pokémon and watched as Ash exhaled, now looking - perhaps - too overconfident. What added fuel to his fire, though...

Was Chimchar glowing white.

A state Paul only dreamed that Chimchar would have gotten to while under his command.

Ash, however, was able to have his Monferno in full glory.

Now the newly evolved Pokémon seemed as confident as his Trainer, although Paul was still wondering if it might be too much. He wouldn't know until he kept going. But Monferno had something to demonstrate first. He began punching his arms rapidly until they glowed white, and then he sent a powerful gust of wind Paul's way. He didn't flinch at Mach Punch's power on the outside, but on the inside he smiled.  _So, this is what you've got,_ he thought.  _Still, I'm not losing. Just make sure you make it a good time._ "Electabuzz, stand by for battle!"

Of course, when the Electric type emerged, he was most certainly surprised. He blinked. "What the?"

Monferno smirked. "Long time, eh?" he greeted with his new voice.

Electabuzz quickly matched the smirk. "Someone's confident," he noted. "Let's see if you can put that new power to use,  _friend_."

"Of course,  _buddy_."

"Alright, Monferno, use Mach Punch!" Ash ordered. With blinding speed and soaring confidence, Monferno bounded over to his old teammate, and within the blink of an eye he was right in front of Electabuzz. With a smirking grin and an evil look in his eye, Monferno showed off his new power by punching Electabuzz in the gut and send him into a nearby boulder, destroying it completely.

The Electric type stood up. "Argh, as if it isn't bad enough I have to deal with that damn Infernape and his annoyingly blinding speeds," he muttered.

"Electabuzz, Thunder!" his Trainer ordered. He fired, which Monferno braced himself for. The Fire type looked shaken up but quickly recovered to use Flame Wheel. Paul was ready, though, and he ordered a Protect, which sent Monferno bouncing into the sky. Ash called for a Flamethrower, but Electabuzz dodged it by going into the sky after him with Thunder Punch. Monferno dodged, and then dove into the ground with Dig. Electabuzz landed, and as soon as he did, Monferno reappeared to punch him in the chin. Then the Playful Pokémon charged with another Flame Wheel, and Paul countered with Thunder.

To which he learned that, not only could Monferno do this Counter Shield thing, but he could do it in the air, too.

Monferno blast through the attack and hit Electabuzz dead on. Paul realized he had little options other than defending, but if he could break their momentum for even a second, that was all he needed. Monferno went for another Mach Punch, but this time Paul had Protect up and ready. When Monferno had that split second in the air where he was most vulnerable, Paul struck. "Thunder!" Electabuzz fired immediately, hitting his opponent directly. Monferno crumbled to his knees, but when he was ordered to use Flamethrower he stood up, only to be stopped.

The Fire type was paralyzed.

 _Perfect!_ Paul thought.  _Exactly what I needed._ But then Monferno shouted, and his tail fire flared. On the inside, Paul flinched, afraid that at any moment Monferno would start acting crazy again.  _No, no, please no._ Luckily, it wasn't, just the Fire-Fighting type's way of saying how determined he was.

That determination, though, was their downfall.

Looking more confident than ever, Ash ordered another Mach Punch. Monferno charged, but he wasn't nearly as fast as before. He had lost energy from the Thunder, not to mention his battle with Torterra. Paul had Electabuzz match it with Thunder Punch, and the two collided in the middle of the field, creating an explosion. The smoke cleared, and both Pokémon were still standing. Bruised, but standing. And then Electabuzz smirked. "Game over,  _pal_."

Monferno fainted.

"Monferno is unable to battle, and the winner is Electabuzz, which means the victor is Paul!"

It wasn't as satisfying as Paul thought it would be.

Ash's pride and overconfidence had clouded and failed his judgment one too many times. And he was too easy to predict this time around. If there was anything Paul gave the black haired boy credit for, it was how he could pull things out of thin air and use it to his advantage. But there wasn't anything like that today. The Counter Shield threw him off, yes, and Monferno evolving was the highlight, sure. But it could only save so much. Paul returned Electabuzz and watched as Ash walked over to Monferno and held him in his arms. They didn't form, but Paul could tell Ash was holding back frustrated tears, and instead chose to act happy. Everyone walked over to where Ash and his Pokémon were. "That was a spectacular battle, you two," Reggie congratulated. For just a split second the rivals met gazes.

And Paul could tell Ash knew.

No. Not really. It wasn't really at all.

"Yeah," Paul replied, faking a smile. "It sure was."

There was a silence, and then Haley walked up to him. "Ready to go?" she asked.

Paul nodded. "Are you coming?" he inquired to his brother.

"Of course!" Reggie agreed.

Reggie and Haley said their goodbyes, and Paul nodded to Olivier, who smiled. And before he turned around completely to head to the train, he saw it.

He briefly wondered if that was what he had looked like 11 days ago.

Shame, doubt, lack of confidence, loss of pride, annoyance, anger, frustration, sadness...it was all swirled onto Ash's face. Paul almost wanted to punch it, hopefully knocking some sense into him as he told him how he should be happy with the fact that he hadn't been utterly demolished. How he should have been happy with an evolved Pokémon and that no one, not even Paul, was looking down at him.

But then again, it wouldn't work.

Even Ash silently agreed at the lackluster performance.

The trio began to make their way to the train, and Paul heard sniffling behind him. His hands balled into fists as they walked. And as they waited quietly at the station, Paul decided to fess up. "I lied," he stated. His friend and brother looked at him in confusion. "I mean, I'm glad Monferno evolved, but Ash's performance...that's not him."

"Then why did you say it was?" Reggie questioned.

"As if he needs more damage to his pride," Paul answered.

They fell into silence again, all three of them kind of worried about Ash's state of being. "Well, Paul," Haley finally said, "whether or not that wasn't his usual performance, you still won, and it wasn't a spectacular failure." He nodded. "What do you want?"

He didn't answer right away. "Just a hot chocolate," he replied.

"Hmm." Again, the silence fell over the area. "I could have sworn you wanted more."

Paul kicked a pebble onto the tracks. "Not in the mood."

"Oh. Guess that makes sense." The train finally rolled up. "So, let's get going," Haley instructed.

The train moved along the tracks, making clicking noises as it rode over them. Paul watched the sun sink behind the mountains, and he sighed internally.

Perhaps he had over prepared for a fight he honestly wanted to have fun with.

* * *

 

**A/N: Next chapter is going to be kind of short, since I'm going to use it to set up the two parter I have coming. And it's from a new perspective. WOO!**


	34. You're Such A Liar

It was the night after Ash's defeat, and thanks to his friends, he felt much better.

Well...so they thought.

Yes, they did make him feel better...er, kind of, but his pride was still shot to sh...shot to sh...it was still shot.

Ash frowned, lying awake in his sleeping bag, looking up at the brilliantly lit night sky. Everyone else, meanwhile, was fast asleep. Even his Pokémon wouldn't hear him if he went for a midnight stroll.  _Even though it's not midnight,_ he thought. Then he sighed mentally.  _Ash, seriously? Don't go into semantics._ As quietly as an Ekans in the grass, he slipped out of his sleeping bag and grabbed his blue coat before walking to a nearby hill.

The gang wasn't too far from Snowpoint City, and luckily they found a place to camp that wasn't completely buried in snow. Still, it did require the travelers to wear warmer sleeping gear, which was another reason Ash believed no one would follow him: they probably felt too comfortable to move. But Ash was willing to step away from the comforts of his gear in order to have time to himself. He sat down in the grass slightly covered by snowflakes, and watched the stars twinkle in the distance.

_"Yeah. It sure was."_

"You're such a fu…a fu…you're such a liar," Ash mumbled.

He figured the reason Paul lied was because - for once - he cared about his rival's pride and dignity, and decided to help save it, but honestly, it did the opposite. At least for Ash. In that one sentence he heard the disappointment Paul had for his performance, and in the two times they briefly met eyes, Ash saw Paul's feelings for what had happened.

And it made things worse.

It was so frustrating to see Paul pity him like that, when throughout the entire journey he had done nothing but put Ash down. And now he was actually feeling sorry for him? What a load of bull...of cr...of... "Tch, whatever."

Had his battle with Brandon really changed Paul that much? He was such a spoiled brat. And really, Ash still didn't understand why he had gone to Paul's Gym Battle. Maybe he had done it because Chimchar insisted, and then Pikachu added his own thoughts of agreement. So they went, and why Ash decided to help him out was beyond his reasoning. No one knew he was there, not until he shouted out, anyway. He could have just stayed silent and let Paul figure it out for himself, like always insisted on doing. And sure, Ash knew his helpfulness wouldn't be factored in how Paul battled him, but did he seriously have to be so ruthless and relentless? Ash was the reason he won that fu...that fu...

_Argh, to hell with it!_

"I'm the reason you won that fucking badge, you bastard!" Ash hissed, not caring about holding back anger. No one was around, anyway. "I am so fucking sick of your damn, stupid, smug ass face, alright? You treat me with such little respect- argh; do you have  _any_ idea how much I want to punch that stupid face in? Well,  _do you_?!"

He was doing it again. Cursing Paul out seemed to be a regular thing for Ash whenever he met him. Even when he had won in Squallville, even when he had won in Hearthome, it didn't matter. Ash would always find himself taking a nightly stroll for about two, three, maybe even four nights, cursing at the teen he knew wasn't hearing his rants.

The Trainer had never done this with anyone before, not even that egotistical jackass Gary Oak he called his best friend.

Ash could feel it, though. He had this bad feeling that the next time he saw Paul, he was going to explode. That wasn't going to be pretty. He had this nice, big barrier built for people like the Veilstone Trainer, or so Ash thought. He hadn't actually encountered anyone like Paul, and the way he treated the younger boy was driving him over the edge. If Paul didn't stop treating him like he was worse than shit, everything was going to come running out like an exploding dam.

And he meant  _everything_.

That wasn't a comforting thought.

"Fine then," Ash continued to rant to himself. "Next time I see you, I'll show you. I'll get you to treat me with respect. Forget it being about training methods, oh no, it's on. You are going to treat me like a fucking normal human being, you son of a bitch, and if that means I have to beat the shit out of you to do so, then I promise that is  _exactly_ -"

"Ash, what are doing out here?" The addressed Trainer swore he must have jumped five feet at Brock's question. He spun around to find his long time friend staring at him in confusion.

"Oh, hi Brock!" he exclaimed happily, trying his best not to sound nervous. "What are you doing up this late?"  _If he heard me ranting, I swear I will_ kill  _Paul._

"Well, I had to get up for something," Brock explained.  _You know, you could just say, "I had to go to the bathroom". I know I'm a "little kid", but I still know about going to the bathroom in the woods._ "I noticed you were gone, and I went looking for you. I heard you mumbling to yourself; is there anything wrong?"

"No, of course not!" Ash replied, trying to sound like his usual happy-go-lucky self. "I was thinking about..."  _Uh, uh, come on, Ash, you know you have a lie in that head of yours somewhere!_ "Sunyshore City! I mean, I know Dawn's Contest comes first, but I'm so close to getting my final badge that I couldn't sleep! Because once I get that, I can enter the Pokémon League!"

Brock smiled, falling for the lie.  _Oh thank you, Mew!_ "Should have guessed," he chuckled. "Thinking about strategies?"

"You bet!"  _Well, that's not a total lie. I'm thinking of strategies to help kick Paul's ass...literally._ "But I guess I should get some sleep, huh?"

"Yeah, we have quite a bit of traveling to do in order to get to Lilypad Town," Brock stated. "Come on, let's head back to camp."

"Right!" Ash leapt off the ground, and Brock turned to walk back.

In doing so, he missed Ash's scowl.

_"Yeah. It sure was."_

_You're such a fucking liar._


	35. A Change in Perspective I

"Could you walk  _any_ slower?" I snapped when I finally noticed he had been lagging behind.

He snorted. Arceus, I hate him. "Like you're going any faster," he retorted.

"At least I'm not strolling along like I'm some sort of jackass," I shot back.

"It's funny how  _you_ were the one who requested silence, and yet here  _you_ are, running your mouth."

I growled. He was right. I thought I found his stupid, dense, upbeat attitude annoying, but him being smart is ten times worse. "How is it that I got stuck with  _you_ of all fucking people?" I grumbled.

"Well,  _Paul_ ," he spat, using as much venom as he could muster, "let's think. Maybe if you hadn't been an idiot, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Well,  _Ash_ ," I spat back with just as much venom, "let's think a little more. Maybe if you stopped attracting that trio of idiots, we  _definitely_ wouldn't be in this mess."

We glared and growled at each other so menacingly I thought we would end up in a fight, but somehow we managed to tear our eyes away, look at the path ahead of us, and keep going. Currently, we were trying to find our way out of this forest, hopefully finding our respective friend(s), the town, and three stolen Pokémon in the process…and definitely not by choice. I thought about how we wound up in this situation, and I knew he was right, yet so was I. I wondered if he realized that, too.

And to think that earlier in the day there were some points where I was actually happy.

...

Haley and I had stumbled upon a town by the name of Soldaster. Somehow we had missed it when we journeyed to Celestic Town, but then again I  _was_  trying to rush there, hoping we could stop Cyrus. It was a town most people would probably call "cute", looking like something out of a fairytale, just a tad more modernized. The two of us were just suppose to stop at the Pokémon Center and be on our way but...

Distractions. Just...distractions.

Distraction one: a very long wait. Why? Celestic Town was  _not_ that far, meaning there were basically two Pokémon Centers open. Why was there such a long wait?! So that was a thing.

Distraction two: a special Contest. We had heard about it while waiting, and apparently anyone could enter. In fact they  _encouraged_ that no Coordinators should participate. They  _could_ if they really wanted to, but the prize wasn't a ribbon. It was money, 50,000 Poké to be exact. How does a random town have that much money to give? Don't ask me, I couldn't tell you, but it really didn't matter. What did was that Haley became interested, more so than she already was. She had once stated she wanted to participate in a Contest for fun. Truthfully I wanted to say no, but I just couldn't.

Distraction three: them. I think you know.

"Haley!" Ugh, I would know that voice anywhere, unfortunately. It's engraved in my mind. Troublesome. She ran up to us, with those other two and this one girl behind her. "It's great to see you again!"

"Same here, Dawn," Haley responded. I still couldn't understand how or why she was friends with her. I felt Ash's stare, and I eyed him. He had a tiny smile on, not his usual grin. In a way he had gotten over the loss at Lake Acuity, but at the same time not really. Well at least he knew how I felt after my fight with Brandon. I looked back at Haley. "So, are you here for the Contest?"

"No, not this time," Troublesome answered.

"Really?" Haley chuckled. "I hope the world's not ending." Troublesome laughed. "How about you, May?"

Ah, no wonder she looked slightly familiar. She was that girl Haley pointed out in the Wallace Cup. "Me neither," she replied. "I came back from Johto, actually, and because I wanted to do some sight seeing before their Grand Festival, I was going to head to Celestic Town when I met up with the gang again. Now how about you? Are you participating in the Contest?"

"Yeah, thought I'd give it a shot," Haley stated. "Plus, who doesn't want 50,000 Poké? Arceus knows I need it, seeing as how I'm running low on cash."

Both of the girls' eyes gleamed. Oh boy. "Can we watch?" they asked, sounding excited. Greeeeaaaat...

I grunted. "Well, Mister Grumpy," Haley said, "if it really bothers you, you can sit somewhere else."

"Who says I'm staying?" I mumbled.

"Really?" Haley scoffed. "You're telling me you're just going to pack up and go to Sunyshore?"

Tempting, but we both knew I couldn't. "Whatever," I replied.

"So, do you have an outfit to wear?" the brunette asked. I didn't really care to remember her name. And I didn't really care about the outfit conversation either.

"Outfit?" Haley repeated.

"Yeah," Troublesome stated. "Like a dress or something." Wait...okay, suddenly I was interested.

"D-dress?" Reeeeaaaally interested. I remembered how cute she was in the dress she had worn when Uncle Carlos and Aunt Beverly took us to dinner in Hearthome City. But this was going to be a performance dress, not a dinner dress, so I couldn't help but wonder what she would look like. It was kind of hard for me to not smile just thinking about it.

"Come on, Haley, there's no need to be nervous," Bandana replied. "If you don't have one, we'll help you pick it out." Troublesome looked excited. Haley...not so much.

"Uh, I think-"

"Now don't tell me you're just going to pack up and go to Sunyshore?" I told her with a smirk.

She glared, or as best as she could while embarrassed. "I just-"

"Haley, we'll be quick, promise," Troublesome said.

"How long is quick?" Haley asked Ash.

He grinned, and Brock waved. "Have fun," they stated. Her mouth opened wide, and then she was dragged off.

"So Ash, the Contest starts in about two hours," Brock reminded. "I'm going to get us a room at the Pokémon Center."

"Sure!" my rival replied enthusiastically. "Oh, and can you take Pikachu and my other Pokémon so Nurse Joy can look after him? I want to explore the town."

"No problem." Pikachu jumped off his usual preach and landed next to the older Trainer's feet. He waved and walked off.

To be honest, I don't know why I had stayed and watched that. But had I walked away, I wouldn't have heard something interesting. "Finally, a little peace and quiet," he muttered, most likely thinking I wouldn't hear him.

But I had. All of the suspicions I had been curious about finally proved to be right. Or, at the very least, it was pointing in that direction. I gave him a curious stare. "Peace and quiet? You are the embodiment of loud and obnoxious," I countered.

He looked at me, surprised and a little scared. Most likely he thought I had walked away. "D-did I say peace and quiet?" he laughed nervously. "You must be hearing things, because there's never a dull moment with me!" He laughed a little more. "W-well," he began when my gaze didn't leave him, "I'll see you later, Paul." He turned around.

"Hold it." I grabbed the back of his vest's collar and spun him around. "I don't know how it's been in other regions, if you've fooled everyone else, but you haven't fooled me. I notice. When you swore at the Hearthome Tag Battle and PokéRinger competitions, during our battle on the way to Pastoria, and I noticed how angry you looked at Lake Acuity as well. I've noticed when you've raised your voice even more than normal, when you become angrier.  _And_  I also happened to run into a Mismagius who liked to make dreams reality, and she said something very interesting. Something along the lines of something being buried deep into that head of yours." I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him close. "So who exactly are you, Ash Ketchum, if it's not the naïve, dense idiot everyone knows?"

His eyes were wide and scared, and for split second I thought maybe I was wrong, and that damn Mismagius just wanted one last laugh. Then...then he growled. I had heard him do it before, but that sounded more like he was a little kid. This...this was a growl I would use. "And why would you fucking care?" he asked hauntingly.

To say that caught me off guard would be an understatement. I was so surprised my grip loosened lightning quick. He used that to slip away, but when I want answers, I fight to get them. Getting over my shock, I was easily able to grab his arm, pull him back, and have his collar in my grasp once more, definitely stronger this time. "Because I told you, I'm not so easily fooled," I answered. "I asked a question, so fucking answer it!"

"Fine. How about it's none of your God damn business? Does that work?" I grunted. Ash was stubborn enough already, but whatever he was now was twice as stubborn. "Now let go!"

"Not until I get a real answer!"

"That  _was_  a real answer!"

We struggled for a few minutes. I was demanding him to explain, and he was protesting against it. And only when we heard the sound of people chatting behind me did we stop. Neither of us felt like getting reported. I grunted as he straightened his vest and shirt, glaring at me. "Tch, whatever," I said. "You win for now."

"I'm more clever than you think, Paul," he replied. "How do you think it has slipped under everyone's radar for so long? You won't be getting answers, not any time soon, because the only way to get answers is if I tell you. And that's not happening...what's the word I'm looking for...oh yeah,  _ever_."

Man this other side of Ash was creepy. He delivered every line of that speech so calmly and darkly it was almost unnerving. But this was me he was talking to. I've dealt with much worse. So I smirked at him. "Apparently though I've gotten farther than most people. That deserves some sort of reward."

"Want a medal?" he stated dully. Then before I could respond he turned. "Now if I remember correctly, I said I wanted peace and quiet."

"I thought you were denying you said such a thing."

"You're hilarious." In some ways this other side was kind of fun. "You're welcome to come along, just-"

"Shut up? Huh, I always thought that was my line."

"You know, I hate repeating myself."

So we ended up sitting on opposite sides of a bench near the fountain that was in the center of town, which just so happened to be close to where the Contest was. We each had a book to read, and if I hadn't just sat through minutes of getting to know the other side of Ash, I would have thought he was some imposter. Well, in ways I kind of already thought that, but there was no denying his usual upbeat attitude when his friends were around. I then heard footsteps and looked up. Speak of the devils. "Might want to put that book away," I muttered. "Wouldn't want your friends thinking you're smart, now would we?"

"I take back my comment, now you're just being obnoxious," he replied but did as I suggested.

"Welcome to my world," I stated with a smirk. He growled that darker growl of his. Then his Pikachu ran up to him.

"Hey buddy!" he cried out as his Pokémon jumped and cuddled in his arms. It was as if all of those dark attributes melted away like water. In a way it was kind of creepy how easily he could slip from one skin to another.

"Did you have fun twiddling your thumbs?" Haley asked dully. She looked like she had been through hell and back.

"Looks like I had more fun than you did," I pointed out. She huffed.

"Haley, look on the bright side," Bandana chirped. "You now have a cute dress, and you were the one who picked it out." I was so glad no one wanted me to talk, because my mind was in overdrive, thinking about what Haley had picked.

"Not to mention we still have twenty minutes and you were able to get your Pokémon from your friend," Troublesome pointed out.

Ash looked at the girls. "You're not using any of your Pokémon?" he asked.

"I am for the second round," she explained. "But I didn't think anyone would do well in the appeal round. I kind of freaked out when I thankfully remembered Gardevoir."

"You have a Gardevoir?" Ash wondered.

"Not mine," Haley answered, "my best friend Brandi's. But she gladly loans me Gardevoir whenever I need her."

"Brandi's one of the best!" Bandana suddenly squealed. My poor ears. "I battled her in the Cherrygrove Contest, and she was amazing! I can't wait to see how you do!"

Haley blushed. God, she looks  _adorable_ when she blushes. "I don't think I'll do that good," she humbled. "I've never participated in a Contest before."

"Then maybe you shouldn't participate, amateur," a snotty voice commented. Everyone turned to a girl with peach hair, up in pigtails and curled. She had a white jacket on and a blue dress, white leggings, and white high heels. Everything about her screamed Daddy's Little Rich Girl. If there is one type of person I hate with a passion, it's a snobby rich person. Add one who's been spoiled to the ground and is female, and you have someone who has to work extra,  _extra_ hard to make it into my good graces.

This girl was already starting on a downhill slope.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but if I remember reading the rules, this is more for people who would rather not steal a win that has no value to them," Haley retorted. I sensed a catfight coming on.

"So it says, but do you honestly believe that the participants are first timers like you?" Pigtails asked. "Don't tell me you're actually here to have fun? Some of us are practicing, you know, and we don't need losers like you."

"So what if I am here to have fun?" Haley shot back. "How about you go practice somewhere else if you want such high standards."

The girl "thought". I knew whatever she said I was going to hate it. "Nope. Showing losers why I'm a Top Coordinator is too good of an idea to pass up."  _That's right, stand right there while I get Weavile out to swipe that smirk off your face,_ I thought. "And speaking of losers, hello Dawn. I suppose I'll at least have some competition, even if it's not all that good."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Ursula," Troublesome replied dully, "but I'm not participating. Because contrary to your belief, this Contest  _is_ for fun."

"Oh, so you think you're too good to participate, is that it?!"  _Uh, no, that is definitely not what she said._ "Fine, whatever, guess I'll just win the whole thing with absolutely no effort."

"God, will she just shut up and go away?" I muttered. I should have probably thought that instead like everything else up to that point. Because the next thing I knew I was standing up, her hands curled around mine and...shit, not another Karina!

"Now what is a hunk like you doing with these losers?" she cooed. Get her away, someone do something!

"Go away," I told her, sounding annoyed. Though, apparently, "go away" meant "please snuggle my chest".

"With you, anywhere," she replied. Scratch another Karina, this is worse. Someone  _do_ something!

And someone did. That chick flew 20 feet, I swear.

"He said go away because you were bugging him!" Haley shouted. "Did you not  _see_ that he was  _uncomfortable_?"

Pigtails picked herself up. "Ew, you got dirt on my dress!" she cried, ignoring everything Haley just said. "You want to play that way? FINE! You better make it to the second round! And when you lose, you will give me your boyfriend!" This  _had_ to be some sort of nightmare. I was going to wake up, still waiting for the Contest to start, with that other side of Ash still reading and wondering why the fuck I fell asleep.

"First, he's not my boyfriend, he's just a friend," Haley snapped. Damn it! "Second, no matter what he is to me, I don't bet people. Third, what makes you think I'll lose? Fourth, did you hear anything I said about him being  _uncomfortable_?!"

"Scared?" Princess taunted with that really annoying smirk.

…Now I get how people feel when I do it.

Still going to, though.

Haley groaned. "For the love of-"

"Just do it, Haley, so she can leave," I stated.

She looked at me, looking slightly concerned. I bet she slightly doubted herself, thinking she would lose to the more experienced Coordinator. But it was only for a second, and she nodded. "Fine, Ursula, I'll take your challenge!" she declared.

"See you later, Handsome!" she called out to me before cackling and strutting off.

We watched her leave. One...two...three... "I fucking hate her," Haley stated. Called it.

"You and me both," Troublesome told her.

"Well, we all know you're an awesome Trainer!" Ash encouraged. "You'll beat her, no doubt!" Pikachu agreed.

"He's right, Haley, go get her!" Bandana exclaimed.

"For my sake," I muttered.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about, Paul," Brock replied.

"Yeah, there's no need to worry!" Troublesome shouted.

There was silence. "Why do I suddenly feel the need to do so?" Haley asked.

"Because when Dawn tells us not to worry that's when we worry the most," Ash explained.

I was fucking screwed. Thanks, Troublesome.

The girls disappeared backstage to get Haley ready, and I headed for the seats. To my ever-growing bad luck, the only available seats were next to those four.  _Well, just got to suck it up_ , I figured. I sat on the end, next to the stairs. I knew that meant getting up when those two girls came back, but I didn't care. And I didn't know if I should have been grateful or find the nearest wall to bash my head against when Ash took the seat next to me. On one hand, I wouldn't be sitting next to the squealing girls. On the other...Ash. I really didn't feel like answering any stupid question I figured he would most likely ask me. The two girls coming back snapped me out of my thoughts. I got up and let them in before reluctantly sitting back down. I sighed quietly.

This would actually be the first Contest I have ever seen, if we're not counting the Wallace Cup and one other on TV. I never once stepped into a Contest Hall while traveling through Hoenn (and that one Cynthia and Haley battled in doesn't count). I just find them too...boring? No. Frilly? Maybe. It's just not my thing. Although, I do have respect for some Coordinators. There was one I battled while in Hoenn. He had this Vibrava that looked really powerful, and I mistook him as a Trainer. If it weren't for that Vibrava, I would have passed him by when he said he was a Coordinator. Drew Hayden, I think was his name. He actually almost beat me, so I had to give him some credit. And I happened to catch the next Contest he was in on TV, and he won that one. We battled a little later, and that time he used his Roselia. He was even closer than the time before, but I never had the fortune of battling him again. I guess it didn't matter.

Soon a woman walked out onto the stage, introducing herself as Marian. Troublesome voiced confusion, saying how this wasn't an official Contest so she couldn't understand why the woman was here. It didn't matter to me; there was a MC, that's what counted. She introduced the judges, and then called for the first participant. Of course, who should walk out but Pigtails in a tight black long sleeve and a red skirt layered in way too many ruffles. She also had this black choker that I hoped lived up to its name, especially when she found me and winked.

"All right Togetic, let's go!" she cried, and threw the Poké Ball after a twirl and a laugh. The Happiness Pokémon definitely did not match her personality, nor did the hearts that popped out with it. "Use Air Cutter!" Togetic fired, cutting up the hearts into smaller hearts. "Now Thunder Wave!" The hearts were bathed in electricity, and formed one big heart pattern. "And finish it off with multiple Energy Balls!" Togetic spun, releasing the energy at the hearts and attracting the sparkles to it like it was a tornado. And when the spinning stopped the sparkles burst away, raining down over Pokémon and Coordinator.

...Those damn hearts were for me, weren't they? I swear if I'm right I will kill someone.

Pigtails got high praise, and after another wink at me she skipped off stage. I never thought I would say this, but I enjoy Troublesome way more than her.

The appeal round continued, and I am sad to say not one of them held a candle to Pigtails, meaning that she been wrong in her assumption of other Coordinators being present. That also meant she was most definitely advancing. I just hoped Haley made it as well. Luckily we didn't have to wait long for her to appear. There were only a handful of competitors compared to the Wallace Cup or even a real Contest. So we got to the last performance, which was Haley's of course, and she stepped onto the stage-

Oh my God.

Her dress was simple. No frills, no accessories, nothing. But if you ask me (and about 50% of the guys), it didn't need them. It went over her left shoulder, leaving the other one bare. There was a slit over her right leg that went up pretty high. And she wore the black flats Aunt Beverly had bought her. Well that was the travel down, and I went back up. I noticed her glove wasn't present ( _again_ , but at least she didn't need a knife this time), and on her right wrist was her silver bracelet. Around her neck was the same necklace she wore in Hearthome City, and her hair was in a bun, with a little bit of it hanging out and slightly curled. I gulped. Damn it, she was gorgeous. Drop dead gorgeous. I couldn't help but stare with my mouth open, and I think she noticed. She blushed - making me do so as well because it just made her look even better - and tugged at her dress, as if it were too short. But going back to that dress, I realized something: it was purple. And not just any shade of purple. It was  _my_  shade of purple,  _my_ hair color.  _Haley picked out this dress,_ I realized. I begged, pleaded, that her choice meant she liked me. "Alright, Haley, you can do it!" Bandana called out, snapping me out of my trance. I turned to notice Ash was caught up in one as well.

"So guys, did we do good?" Troublesome asked.

"She's gorgeous," Ash whispered so quietly only I heard it. But then he snapped to attention. "Yeah, she looks awesome!" he stated enthusiastically. Apparently "gorgeous" doesn't exist in the dictionary of his naïve state.

Troublesome smiled. "What about you, Paul?"

She already knew my answer, but she was also trying to toy with me. "Yeah, whatever," I grumbled. I heard "hmph" and a bit of shuffling. As if she really expected me to say what I was really thinking.

Up on stage, Haley got that fire in her eyes. She had gotten over her little shy episode. "Okay Gardevoir, time to dazzle!" she called, throwing the Poké Ball straight up. The Psychic type appeared in stars. "Let's control a few stars with Psychic!" Gardevoir's eyes lit up, and the stars began to encircle her in a cross fashion. "Now use Lucky Chant!" Now Gardevoir looked like the center of an atom. "Dance!" She began to dance gracefully, extending the rings as she did. "Magical Leaf!" The colorful leaves diced through the stars as Gardevoir continued to dance. "And finish things off with Shadow Ball!" Just like Togetic and its Energy Ball, Gardevoir fired off multiple Shadow Balls, destroying the leaves and any remaining stars, but this time seemed more graceful, and I'm not just saying that because I like Haley more. Now with Psychic, Gardevoir created a trail of green, purple, orange, yellow, pink, and blue sparkles and flew them towards Haley. The sparkles wrapped around her and sent Haley into the air, spinning around gracefully (actually, I'm pretty sure that was Gardevoir's Psychic, but she did a good job of hiding that fact). Haley ended up "perched" on Gardevoir's right shoulder, and while her left hand held onto her Pokémon she threw her other one up, and Gardevoir copied the motion with her free hand. Both of them were smiling, and the crowd was cheering like crazy.

Me? I just smiled. I couldn't bring myself to clap and cheer along with everyone else, but I hope she knew I really enjoyed it.

With intermission we were allowed to go backstage. "You were so great!" Bandana cheered when we met up with Haley.

"Well, really, Gardevoir did all the work," Haley replied. "She's the expert, not me." Gardevoir sighed, scolded her, and pointed to herself and Haley. From the way it looked, Haley had been saying that before we got there.

"Gardevoir's right, you know," Brock stated. "You two worked together out there. And you were amazing."

She gave off a tiny smile. "Thank you," she said shyly. Oh God, she needs to do that more. It's just too adorable. Then she looked at me. "What did...um, you think, Paul?" she asked.

I felt my face heat up and I looked away. "It..." I was trying to say "fine", give the answer everyone expected, but I just couldn't bring myself to, nor could I look away for long. "It was good," I answered.

She smiled a little bit bigger but she was blushing as well. "Oh no, Paul gave a genuine compliment!" Troublesome gasped dramatically. "I think the world is coming to an end!" I glared at her, earning a giggle out of Haley. Suddenly over the speakers we heard the results were ready. We turned our attention to the TV and waited. Two pictures showed up. Guess who.

"Alright, Gardevior, we did it!" Haley cheered. Gardevior looked happy.

"Told you!" Bandana exclaimed.

"Next is the battle round, and we all know how good of a battler you are!" Ash stated.

"Just remember that this is also a Contest," Brock reminded.

"Combos and throwing my opponents off is basically the name of my game!" Haley told him. There was that battle fire. "Ursula better watch out!" A "hmph" alerted us of said Coordinator's presence.

"We'll see," she scoffed. "You got lucky out there."

Haley chuckled. "Prepare to know why I'm a three-time Elite Four Runner Champion," she stated.

Another "hmph", and then she looked at me with a sweet smile. Too sweet. "Don't worry, you won't have to bare her presence for much longer," she cooed in a voice drowned in too much sugar. Then with a little wave and then a glare to Haley, she skipped off.

"Don't listen to her," Ash said. "Like I said, you'll beat her no doubt!"

"Thanks, Ash," Haley replied. "Now are you going to stand here all day or are you going to watch the show?" The group of four smiled and walked off to the seats, shouting out their good lucks and best wishes. "How are you holding up?" she asked me. "I know this is the last place you want to be, and that where you were sitting was even worse for you."

"It hasn't been bad," I answered. And it was true. The group didn't say a single word to me besides the thing about Haley's outfit. "And by the way, I didn't mean to say good."

Haley smiled and pointed to her right eye. "I know," she stated.

I smirked. "Then did you also know that I wanted to say you look beautiful?" Apparently not, because she dropped her hand and blushed. So now would be the perfect time for me to confess and or kiss her, right?

Fate doesn't agree with you or me.

"Will both competitors please make your way to the stage," a voice over the PA announced.

Perfect moment ruined count: 5.

"Well, looks like we better get going," Haley said. I nodded, and then she did it. Again. She kissed my cheek and took off  _again_. I hoped one day she realizes in a way I couldn't stand that because not only was she practically teasing me but also because I looked like a love-struck idiot afterwards. You know, the stupid grin and a dazed look and humming. It was only when she had been out of sight for a full minute that I finally collected myself, scolded myself for being an idiot, and walked back to my seat.

Ash was the only one who noticed. "What took you so long?" he asked.

"None of your business," I responded, as usual.

But his next move wasn't the usual. He would mutter something about me being rude or whatever, but this time he said, "Tell your girlfriend good luck?"

I snapped my head to look at him. He had slipped into that other skin, so there was this evil smirk on his face. So in that instant I learned two things: Ash is no stranger to love like I (and most likely many, many others) believed, and I'm transparent as fuck. I gave him a scowl. "She's not my girlfriend," I hissed.

He chuckled darkly. "Keep telling yourself that." Then he looked to the stage. That darker look in his eyes and his smirk disappeared in the blink of an eye and were replaced with shining eyes and a big smile. "You can do it, Haley!" he cheered.

What dark path had I stumbled on? Watching him switch that fast was just freaky, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I looked to the stage as well. Haley was on the right, Pigtails was on the left, and the MC was there in the middle. "With five minutes on the clock, let's go!"

"Now Gabite, go!" Pigtails cried. I had to admit that her Dragon-Ground type was powerful looking but...music notes? I will never understand Contests.

"Alright, Infernape, it's show time!" Haley announced. The audience was in for a treat with this one. He emerged with blue flames circling him.

"Why would she choose a Fire type?" Bandana asked, concerned. "Fire moves aren't all that great against Dragon types."

"Haley doesn't focus on type advantages sometimes," Brock replied. "And Infernape is powerful." Damn right.

"Infernape, absorb the flames!" Haley commanded. He did, and the fire on top of his head turned blue. That docked a few of Pigtails' points. "Now Flame Wheel!" He charged in a wheel of blue fire.

"Dragon Claw!" Infernape's opponent jumped into the air and flew straight for him.

"Roundabout!" He turned sharply to get behind Gabite and jumped after it. Gabite was caught off guard as Infernape slammed into its back, sending it to the ground and making Pigtails lose more points. The Flame Wheel broke, and from Infernape's stance it was clear he had done a backflip and then kicked instead of just attacking. Show off.

Pigtails wasn't pleased. "Aerial Ace!" she ordered. Gable jumped again, spinning as it did so.

A few of Haley's points disappeared, but it was clear Haley wasn't concerned with Contest points. "Infernape, I need you back on the ground!" That meant a Mach Punch Missile, and he was back on his feet in seconds. Of course, the Drill Aerial Ace (HA! Second name I've made!) was following him, and it was coming in fast. I saw that Haley's mind was going into overdrive, and then she got an idea. "Dance for us, buddy!" The hell did that mean? At least Infernape knew, and that's what was important. He got on his back and started spinning, using Flamethrower at the...oh wait, I knew what that was.

"That's a Counter Shield!" Ash exclaimed. Right, he had used that in our battle at Lake Acuity. Apparently Haley found it very useful. Hmm...maybe...

"Wow, that's incredible!" Bandana admired.

"And she mastered it only after seeing it in one battle," Brock observed.

I smirked. "What did you expect?" I muttered to myself. If there's one thing Haley's good at, it's catching people off guard.

Infernape continued his Flamethrower, stopping Gabite's attack and keeping it up in the air, damaging it every time. "Stone Edge!" Pigtails shouted. The stones that circled her Pokémon blocked the Flamethrower, which stopped it, and then it fired those stones right at Infernape.

Please.

"We do this for training!" Haley commented, mirroring my thoughts. "Show 'em, Infernape!" The ape was hopping around, collecting the stones as fast as he could and creating a pile. We do it to keep Infernape fast, and the last time we did he missed six or seven. This time he missed four, but only one hit him, and that was only because he was boasting about how he only missed three. Still, despite that, his quick movements shaved off more of Pigtails' points. "Now send them right back!"

At this point my Torterra would counter with Leaf Storm while Infernape sent a barrage of stones at him. But this wasn't Torterra, not that Pigtails seemed to care. "Destroy them with Dragon Claw!" Gabite started swiping, turning the stones into dust.

The objective wasn't to hit Gabite, though.

It was to distract it.

"Mach Claw!"

"That's not a move I've ever heard of," Ash voiced, as well as a few other people.

"Just watch," I advised. The four did so, and they realized what I had learned watching Haley battle Gardenia. Infernape's right fist glowed white, but then right on top of came the shadowy claw. Using Mach Punch's speed he jumped up quickly. The claw hit first, dazing Gabite.

"Now spike her and show them their place!" Haley ordered. As if Gabite was a volleyball, Infernape slammed his glowing fist down and sent Gabite crashing into the ground. Just as Infernape landed, time was up. And not only did Pigtails have less points, but Gabite had also fainted.

There's a reason Haley's a three-time Elite Four Runner Champion.

The crowd went wild, and the four beside me were celebrating. "She did it!" Troublesome exclaimed.

"That was so awesome!" Ash shouted.

"Quite the performance," Brock agreed.

"Way to go, Haley!" Bandana called out.

Up on stage, the winners were celebrating as well. After the two hugged, Infernape picked his Trainer up and hoisted her on his shoulder, much like Gardevoir had done in the appeal round, and they pumped their fists into the air. The crowd cheered again, and when Infernape put Haley down, she called the Psychic type out for a curtain call. Marian congratulated the team of three and gave Haley her prize: the 50,000 Poké and a ribbon. It obviously wasn't an official ribbon, but this  _was_ a Contest. I'm surprised we didn't realize that would be part of the prize as well. The money was in her hand and yet completely forgotten. Because Haley was looking at the ribbon like it was badge, or maybe she had even more enthusiasm. At moments like that, I question why I don't have fun when I battle. Why don't I cheer and smile like that.

Tch. Who am I kidding? Sometimes I feel the whole world knows why.

We met up with Haley a little later, and she was back in her normal attire. Her dress and flats were in her hands, the dress neatly folded. "Hey Dawn, could you hold onto these?" she asked Troublesome. "I don't trust myself with it."

"But what if you need it?" Troublesome stated.

"I highly doubt I will, but if I do, then just send it. It won't take long."

Troublesome looked at them, and then smiled. "Sure!" she agreed happily, taking the items.

"Thanks, and thank you for helping me pick it out," Haley said.

"That's what May and I are here for," Troublesome replied.

"Yeah, Haley, and you looked so good in it, both in appeals and battling," Bandana stated.

"That battle was so cool, Haley!" Ash blurted out. "Infernape was awesome!"

Infernape, like the showboat he is, puffed up his chest and wiped his finger under his nose. "I am swimming in inflated egos," Haley laughed. "Between you, Empoleon, Luxray, Electabuzz-" Then we heard someone breathing heavily and angrily. "And her," she grumbled out through clenched teeth.

"YOU!" Pigtails shrieked. "A brute like you shouldn't be allowed NEAR a Contest Hall!"

"I won fair and square, Miss Pigtails," Haley stated, rolling her eyes. I, meanwhile, had to hold back a laugh. Haley and I had the same thought process. "You're just being a sore loser. Tell me, are you a Daddy's Little Rich Girl?"

"Actually, it is  _Mommy's_ Little Rich Girl," Pigtails corrected, boasting.

"That wasn't suppose to be a compliment," Haley muttered.

"Well, I wouldn't be talking to me like that, if I were you," Pigtails stated. "Not that I would ever want to be you, but that's beside the point. You see, in a few years, I'm going to part own one of the biggest corporations the world has ever seen."

I think everyone raised an eyebrow to that. "Really?" Haley said dully.

"Seeing as how I have an arranged marriage with the youngest son of the president of PythonTech, yes."

Color  _literally_ drained from my face. Actually, I think it drained from my entire body. So now not only was I an heir to this company I didn't want to be an heir to and there was someone literally on his knees begging my father to somehow biologically be his son, but I had just learned that he had arranged a marriage for his son he didn't even know was alive (or, if he did, he hadn't made it known). And to  _her_?! " _WHAT?!_ " I cried, unable to help it.

Pigtails sighed. "I know, it's awful," she said. "They don't even know if he is alive, and I bet he's no where near as handsome as you. Or as his cousin. Why Mr. Zuckerman just doesn't make him the heir is beyond me."

Okay, so Dad didn't know. Plus. And the others didn't realize my exact reason for freaking out. Another plus? That still leaves me at negative one.  _Her_ , of all people. "How can you have an arranged marriage with someone who isn't even there?" Haley asked.

 _My thoughts exactly._  "Like you commoners would understand," my supposed fiancée answered with a hair flip.

Technically, I'm not a commoner, and yet I didn't understand either. "Wait, but I heard PythonTech's president hated Pokémon," Troublesome pointed out.

"My cute looks and business savvy nature let him have an exception," Pigtails reported. To point A, no. To point B, I can't say because I've never experienced it and therefore don't know if she's telling the truth. To point C, really fucking fair, Dad. So you'll give some random chick an exception but not your own sons? God, I hate him.

"Ugh, you know what, this conversation is pointless," Haley stated. "Come on, you guys, let's get Gardevoir back to Brandi and-" She was cut off when three mechanical claws just came out of nowhere, grabbed onto her two Pokémon and Ash's Pikachu, and then retracted back. "Hey!"

There was laughter. I looked up. You know, I can only handle so much stupid in one day. "Team Rocket!" Ash cried.

"Listen, is that a voice I hear?" Oh please no...

"It's speaking to me loud and clear." Did we...

"On the wind!" Really have to...

"Past the stars!" Listen to...

"In your ear!" This?

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace." Apparently so.

"Dashing hope, putting fear in its place." Dear Arceus...

"A rose by any other name is just as sweet." Please...

"When everything's worse, our work is complete." End my misery.

"Jessie!"

"And it's James!"

"And Meowth, now dat's a name!"

"Putting the do-gooders in their place..."

"...we're Team Rocket..."

"AND NO ONE CARES!" Haley bellowed. Oh sweet merciful...thank you! "Give me back my Pokémon!"

"And give my Pikachu back!" Ash cried.

"You dare be rude and interrupt our motto and then expect us to show you generosity, twerpette?!" the woman shouted.

"We stole your Pokémon fair and square!" the man voiced.

Of course, I had enough of this stupidity. I brought out Honchkrow, grabbed onto his right foot, and he carried me up to the basket of their balloon. "Release them before I lose what little patients I have," I threatened.

They backed up but didn't do as I asked. "Not likely, twerp!" Meowth replied. He jumped with Fury Swipes, to which I was a little startled and accidentally let go. I grabbed the edge of the basket as Honchkrow battled the talking Normal type. I noticed that the wire attaching Infernape's claw to the balloon, so before those two people could grab me I let go and grabbed the wire and then slid down. A bit too fast, most likely, because I almost slipped off, but luckily I was within Infernape's reach. He grabbed my wrist. I heard flapping, and I turned to see Ash on his Staraptor.

"Paul, take my hand!" he shouted.

I grunted but reached for his wrist anyway. There wasn't much I could do hanging from Infernape. But just as I grabbed it, I heard the sound of ripping. Our heads snapped up to find Meowth hanging onto the balloon with his claws. "Meowth, what do you think you're doing?" the man asked.

"Blame the twerp's Honchkrow, not me!" he defended. Honchkrow took offense to that, and then bad turned to worse.

Meowth slid down the tarp involuntarily.

Oooh fuck.

I tried to let go of Ash's wrist, but the balloon releasing air was quicker, and so he was violently ripped off of his Staraptor as we flew. He scrambled to get a better grip on me, and normally I would complain, but I'm not heartless enough to let him die. But speaking of grips, Infernape's and mine was getting dangerously loose, seeing as how I was at a weird angle when he grabbed me. We tried making it tighter, but that only resulted in me slipping from his fingers. Infernape was screaming like crazy, and I would have too if I wasn't in a state of shock. I mean, the two of us were falling to our deaths, and that thought sucked all of the air out of my lungs. And then we were slowly falling down instead of plummeting. Gardevoir was more powerful than I thought. The balloon was a fair distance away yet she could still hold us in her Psychic. But soon we were falling faster again. At least we had gotten a bit closer to the trees, so we didn't hit the branches too hard.

It still hurt like a bitch.

 _SNAP! CRACK! CRASH!_ "Oof!" we grunted as we hit the ground. That was definitely not as graceful as when I had been thrown in Bewilder Forest. At least then there were branches along the cliff for me to grab and rocks to jump off of, and I remember Ash fell into water (which would still hurt, judging from the height we fell from, but I think my rival is a man made of steel). But that was an open cliff. This was tightly packed trees. Kind of hard to make a graceful landing when the first thing you feel is leaves.

Ash stood up, groaning. "That hurt," he moaned. "Great. Now what?"

"Obviously we find our way out," I stated.

"And leave Pikachu, Infernape, and Gardevoir out there?" Ash pointed out.

"They'll be fine," I reasoned. "I bet anything when the balloon made contact the claws broke, and they can fight against those three losers. At least, Infernape and Gardevoir can."

He glared. Usually he would ask "What does that mean?!", but it seemed he had slipped into his other skin. "Pikachu can hold his own," he retorted.

I grunted in amusement. "Let's hope." He rolled his eyes. "Look, we can signal our location. Bring out Monferno, have him climb to the top of the trees, and he'll fire a Flamethrower."

Ash looked at me. "Uh..." he said stupidly.

"Oh God, what?"

"My Pokémon are with Brock."

I looked at him. "So...let me get this straight," I began. "You flew up to the balloon on Staraptor and didn't have  _any_ other Pokémon on you?"

"Brock took them to the Pokémon Center to get healed, so he had my belt. When I went to get you, I only grabbed Staraptor's Poké Ball."

"Are you fucking stupid?!" I cried. "That's what a belt is  _for_ , dumbass!"

"Well if you're the genius, why don't  _you_ bring out Weavile or whoever you damn well please?" I smirked and went for Weavile's Poké Ball...that wasn't there. And when I felt my waist, I realized my whole belt wasn't there. "Yeah, way to show me, Paul," Ash joked dryly.

"It was there during the Contest, I swear," I muttered. It had to have been, seeing as how I got Honchkrow out. So then where was it? I scanned the area, and then I looked up, thinking it had snapped while we fell. But it wasn't in the branches. That meant sometime after I released Honchkrow and before we had landed... "Fuck!" I whispered. Knowing my luck, it fell somewhere in this huge forest. On the outside I looked angry, but I was mentally freaking out. Torterra was part of my current roster (when is he not?). I would never admit it out loud, but he was my first friend and my best. I don't think I would be able to handle losing him. Not wanting to think that I had lost my starter, I kept thinking and thinking. Then I remembered when Meowth had jumped at me with his claws bared. He did get one swipe in; maybe when he did, he cut my belt and sent it flying to the ground. I sighed.

"You really think Meowth using Fury Swipes cut your belt?" Ash suddenly asked. I guess I been saying my thoughts allowed. Hopefully not  _all_ of them.

"That's the only thing I can think of, seeing as how my belt wasn't loose enough to just fly off," I answered. Besides, I had to hope that was the case. Trying to find my belt in this forest would be even worse than trying to find a needle in a haystack. I sighed again. So we had no Pokémon and no sense of which way was north. That meant, unlike Bewilder Forest, I couldn't just ditch him. He at least had Turtwig that time. He also had no bag, which mean we had to rely on my supplies, and if I remembered right, we had enough for two days and nights, but when we hit day three we would be out of luck unless we could find food out here. And even then we would have to hope nothing was poisonous. I looked up. The trees were too thick for us to be able to see a signal, and the branches were too high for us to jump and grab on our own... "Can you climb?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'll hoist you up, and then you can climb up and see which way Soldaster is," I explained.

He nodded. Then we scanned the trees for the lowest branch. "Here," he said when he finally found a low, sturdy one. I hoisted him up, and when he was on the branch he sat down, holding out his hand. "You're helping," he stated. I kind of didn't mind. I hate standing around when it comes to situations like this. I grabbed it and he pulled me up next to him. Then we began climbing up. We reached the top and scanned. "Paul?"

"Yeah?"

"We're so fucked."

Of course the town had to be nowhere in sight, of fucking course. I sighed. I then had an idea. "Look for Mt. Coronet," I told him.

"Why?"

"That's west. We'll walk towards Mt. Coronet and then head north when we find the path."

We scanned a little more. "There, right?" I looked to where he was pointing.

"Looks about right," I answered. There were no other mountains in sight, and if you're close to Mt. Coronet, you  _will_ be able to see it. "Let's go." We jumped back down and started heading west. "Now since we both like peace and quiet, I hope you keep any stupid comments to yourself."

"The only reason I talked to you was because I needed to," he replied.

I snorted. "Good."

...

So how come I was the one who started the snapping?


	36. A Change in Perspective II

I stretched. Man, those claws were  _killer_ on my back! And my pride. But mostly my back. Thank goodness when the balloon crashed down they snapped a bit so I could easily break them. And I would like to thank the lovely Gardevoir for making sure we hadn't died. That woman has a seriously powerful Psychic. Which is why I will never pick a fight with her. "Are we certain they are not dead?" said Pokémon asked as she looked back at the way we came from.

"Eh, they do it all the time," Pikachu assured. "They must be super human, considering how many times they've flown off into the distance."

"He's right," I stated. "I'm more concerned about Paul and Ash."

"I assure you they touched down just fine," Gardevoir said.

"That's not what I mean," I replied.

"Then whatever  _do_  you mean?"

Pikachu and I looked at each other. "They aren't...on the best of terms," we answered.

"Really," Gardevoir gasped.

We nodded. "And Paul's low on supplies and without Pokémon," I continued, remembering at how his belt had been swiped off by Meowth. "But maybe Ash has his."

"Uh...I wish," Pikachu told me.

"Why wouldn't he?"

"He gave the team and I to Brock so Nurse Joy could heal us. Brock still had his belt."

I blinked, and then I sighed. "Paul isn't going to be too happy with that," I stated.

Pikachu sighed as well. "Right."

Gardevoir was looking up at the canopy of leaves. "Something on your mind?" I asked.

"Infernape," she began. "May you jump up to the top and fire a Flamethrower? We might be able to signal the others."

I smirked. "Climbing and firing Flamethrowers are my specialty," I stated. I jumped up into the trees, swinging from some of them.

"Show off!" I heard Pikachu call. I chuckled. I just can't help it, you know? Finally I was above the leaves. I scanned. It was impossible to see the town from our position, but I could see Mt. Coronet, so I fired in that direction. A few moments passed, and then there was a Thunderbolt fired from the northwest, followed soon by two gray blobs and one black one.

"You are just a trouble magnet," Honchkrow complained when he and the two Staraptors approached us.

I laughed. "Nice to see you, too!" He rolled his eyes.

"Where are Ash and... _Paul_ ," Ash's Staraptor asked...grumbled...askbled?

"Keep your beak shut," Honchkrow snapped. The two males glared at each other.

"How about both of you do?" Star muttered. They stopped, and she sighed. "Seriously, do you know where they are, Infernape?"

"I know they aren't dead," I responded with a smile.

"That comment doesn't deserve a smile!" Honchkrow shouted.

"Okay, okay, sorry," I chuckled. "No, sorry Star. And they don't have any Pokémon, either"

Star sighed again. "Haley and the others are already worried as it is. This won't make things better."

I frowned. "Well, unfortunately there's not much we can do," I explained. "This forest is huge, and the trees are too thick for you guys to be able to see through."

The birds looked downcast. I couldn't blame them. I was worried too, despite all of my joking. "Let's at least get you three back," Star advised. "One less thing for them to worry about."

I nodded and then looked down. "Yo, Pikachu, Gardevoir!" I called. "We have an escort back!"

Soon, Gardevoir flew above the trees with Pikachu in her Psychic hold. "Gardevoir, you can ride with me," Ash's Staraptor offered.

"Thank you." And she daintily sat on the bird.

"Put Pikachu on my back," Honchkrow stated.

"Look at that," I joked.

"Infernape…" Star warned.

"Joking!" Pikachu sighed as he was lowered onto Honchkrow's back. I hopped on Star, and they took off back towards town.

When we flew over, we noticed all of the humans, and being who I am, I jumped down and grabbed a light pole to swing down before hopping off. Like I said before, I can't help it, especially since I wanted to be back on the ground with my Trainer again. And speaking of her, she had run up to me and enveloped me in a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered, obviously fighting back tears.

I chuckled. "You think something like that would put me out of commission?" I asked.

She chuckled as well. "No, but I couldn't help but worry," she explained. I smiled, but immediately dropped it when I noticed tears  _were_ running down her face and she definitely wasn't smiling. I realized she wasn't trying to hold back tears; she was trying to keep her voice steady. "Do you know where Paul and Ash are?"

"I don't," I answered honestly. "I'm sorry, Haley. If I had just gripped tighter-"

"I don't blame you," she interrupted quietly. I knew she didn't, but that didn't stop the guilt from eating at me. "I just hope they're okay."

"They most certainly are, Haley," Gardevoir answered as she walked up to us. "I was able to slow their descent. They are alive, I guarantee."

"Yeah, and both of them are practically made of steel," I assured. "They'll be fine, Haley." Then I chuckled. "The only thing we have to worry about is the two of them surviving each other."

She smiled. "You're right," she said. "I just wish there was more we could do than just sit here."

"You and me both," I told her.

 _Paul, you better come back_ , was the only thing I could think.

...

The tension was so thick not even a machete could cut through it. And yet, I was just glad we weren't sitting around a campfire. That would be even more awkward. Walks are better for being quiet. And after our snap fest, it stayed quiet for the rest of the time. To be honest, even though Paul spoke first, it was my fault.

Originally I had slowed down because I accidentally tripped (which I silently thanked that he hadn't noticed), and when he had told me to stop lagging behind, I had rolled my eyes. Then, just to piss him off, I walked slower on purpose. When he had snapped again, I decided to retort. Probably not one of my best ideas, and there's a laundry list of them. But then that ended, and we were just walking. We had to take quite a few detours, and some made us forget which way was west so we would have to climb the trees again. After climbing down a third time we realized that we had little light left. We had to find some place to camp as soon as possible. And luckily we did. We moved quickly to get firewood and start a fire before the sun disappeared completely. Not once did we speak; it was like we were on autopilot. I knew if I was with Dawn and Brock, I would be offering to set up the tent or the tables, but with Paul, in a strange way and despite how much we couldn't stand each other, it was like we knew what our jobs were and how fast to work. And right before the sun disappeared behind our destination, a fire was going with food cooking. We sat down and watched it.

One...two...three...four...

Okay, it was officially awkward.

Campfires are for talking, not for staring into the fire and watching the pot boil! But what were we suppose to say? I didn't know what I would say to Paul, and I knew he would ask me questions I didn't want to answer. Yet the silence was killing me! And it continued even after we were done eating! So I went to say something. "You-" I stopped because we had spoken at the same time, and so we were eyeing each other warily. "Hey-" ... "Just-" ... Then I pointed at him. I hoped he understood that meant he had the floor, and he did. But only one word.

"Explain."

Now, there were a few things I could have done here. First option: ask what he meant, despite me knowing exactly. Of course, that would make me sound stupid and he now knew I was not. That led me to my second option: be an ass. Beat around the bush, explain random shit, but he would probably beat the shit out of me for doing so. There was the third option: give him what he wanted. HA! So I decided to go with the fourth option: decline. I sighed. "No, I've already told you that," I answered.

He stared at me, completely unreadable. "And I told you I want answers," he replied surprisingly calm.

Think, think, think. "How about this? If you ask a question, you have to answer back." He gripped the log he was leaning against. Got him. I knew he wouldn't want to open up to me.

I underestimate Paul too much.

"Very well," he said. I gulped. He is way too persistent.  _Well_ , I reasoned,  _he'll probably not want to open up that much and he'll ask something simple._  "Tell me about your dad."

He had to go all guns blazing, didn't he?

I narrowed my eyes. "No," I told him sternly.

"You get to hear about mine."

 _Yes, let's hear about your perfect life_ , I thought sarcastically. I always figured Paul was one of those guys who had that perfect family of four, that life I envied, and the last thing I wanted to hear was how amazing his dad was. That was the only reason I could think of as to why he asked about my dad, so he could have something simple. Well, it's not simple for me. My blood boils at his name, and usually I'm good at hiding it, since I have had years of practice. But Paul...he just  _irritates_ me, with him calling me pathetic all time. God, I hate that word. And how he will just give up on Pokémon he deemed weak. I hate abandonment even more. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it...

And without wanting to I just started talking.

"Because this is the  _perfect_ tradeoff," I hissed. "I get to hear about how awesome your life was, and you get to know about my bastard of a father!" It was too late to stop. If he wanted to interrupt, he would have to wait. Because my mouth was a train, and it wasn't going to lose steam any time soon. "How about it, Paul? You want to hear about how my father  _hated_ me, about how he hated my mom? Is that what you want? So at the end of all of this you can laugh at my face and call me pathetic? Fine, whatever, I can take it! I mean, it's not like my dad said that to me all the time! Oh, what's that, he did? And that wasn't all? Please, let me explain more! Let me talk about how I knew the words bitch, shit, fuck, and a whole list of other words at the age of four! FOUR! Or let's talk about how my mom was constantly beaten and yet somehow still loved him, saying they were mistakes or just little spats! Tch, little she says. Yeah right. Shall I continue with the fact that a week or so after my fourth birthday he just got up and left? Best birthday present ever, right?! And how about we keep going, explaining how my mom  _assured_ me - and still does - that Dad didn't mean it and he'll be back one day!"

At that I laughed like a crazy man, just imagining my mom smiling and saying that to me over and over again like she used to, like she sometimes still does.

"You want it, Paul, you got it!" I laughed. "I could go into full detail, explain every little gruesome detail, but unfortunately, we don't have a week to kill, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to understand ANY OF IT! I MEAN, YOU ONLY HAVE REGGIE, AND YOUR DAD'S PROBABLY AN AWESOME TRAINER, AND I BET YOU JUST HAVE THE BEST MOM THERE IS!"

He looked at me as I panted and tears started running down my face. "So I give the impression of having the perfect life, huh?" he finally stated.

I stared at him. "What?"

Paul continued to look at me, not moving an inch. And then finally, he moved, reaching for his bag and unzipping it. He dug through it and pulled out a card and stared at it for a long time. He gripped it tight, and then he handed it to me. "Well?" he egged on. I looked at the plain white card, confused at what this would answer, but I took it anyway. I flipped it over, and my eyes widened, probably like everyone else who read the card. "Now before you say how right you were," he began, "let me tell you about how much I hated it. Because it's kind of hard to enjoy the life of luxury when your best friend and idol is treated like dirt is worth more. It's kind of hard when you're the youngest son, yet you're supposed to be the heir because your father  _refuses_ to acknowledge your older brother's existence. All because he  _likes_ something your father _doesn't_.

"And let's not forget I had to keep my own interest in them a secret, and I didn't understand why. All I knew was that I had to. To this day I still don't know why. Neither of us know why. My father gave me anything I wanted, he said he would, and yet he never gave Reggie a chance, the one thing I wanted more than anything. He never gave the position to someone else, the second thing on the list of unfulfilled wishes. I had to, no matter how much I didn't. And do you know I almost lost Reggie when I was four? That he almost ran off without me? That he wanted me to stay behind but I refused?" There was a question I wanted to ask, but I was also scared to do so. "Have something to say? Have any other assumptions?" I shook my head slowly. "Oh come on, you must."

Well, here went nothing. "Did...did he want you to stay because..." I gulped. "Because of your mom?"

He was silent and staring at me once more, the light from the campfire shading half of his face. "What mother?" he responded. "She was gone. Died the day after I was born." The fire snapped, and Paul let a few seconds pass before he moved to take the empty pot away from it. "Shall we move on? I assure you that I have many childhood stories that are exactly what you are looking for."

No, they weren't, and I knew it. I had made a terrible mistake in my assumptions, and I was paying for it. "W-we don't have-"

"I insist," he said calmly, and that just made it all the more unnerving. "Let's begin with the fact that I had no friends. And how I tried. But no one wanted to be friends with me, and even if they said they were, I was nothing more than some  _thing_  for them to complain to. I was a fucking brick wall. 'Sarah did this', 'Terry did that', 'Michelle told me I looked ugly today', 'Toby was mean to me', 'My dad sucks', 'My mom yelled at me for no reason', and not once did I get context for any of it. Who was Rayne, why did Andy hit you, have you tried talking to Ms. Rosemary, but they would just wave it off. I was the kid you came to when you wanted to blow off steam, but no one wanted to hear about my troubles besides Reggie. And certainly no one cared when I would get beat up by those four."

He flashed me an evil grin. "You want to see the scars of my  _perfect_ life, Ash?" He didn't let me answer as he quickly unzipped his jacket, threw it and his shirt off, and then showed me his back, laced with old scars and small burns. They were all faint but very much visible. And I hated looking at them. I felt a wave of nausea crash over me. It was just like my mom, and I started hearing her screams. "Just  _peachy_ , isn't it?" Then he chuckled emotionlessly as he put his shirt back on as well as his jacket but left it open and faced me again. "Oh, but why should I stop there? I'm surprised I can stand Electric types, seeing as how those four guys shocked me. I'm surprised I'm not afraid of water, considering how many times they dunked me into it. I'm surprised that I use the word pathetic. I  _hate_ that word. Pathetic, pathetic, over and over, again and again. Of course, there are also worthless, useless, meaningless, weak, powerless, and my absolute  _favorite_ , unloved. I hate horror movies or anything else horror themed, I can barely stand Ghost types, and I never want you walking slow again. Because I hate having men behind me."

I bolted up and went for the bushes. Her screaming rang in my ears as I emptied all of my stomach content. Stories like that...they made me sick, figuratively and literally. And when I was done and I had turned around, I noticed Paul actually had a look of concern on his face. "Sorry," I mumbled as I went to sit back down.

The only thing that happened for a while was the fire jumping and crackling. "Did it happen to you?" Paul asked.

"No...just Mom." I squeezed the water bottle I had been given. "Did...did it hurt?"

"Thank God I will never know," he answered. "Reggie saved me before it actually happened." That didn't mean it still wasn't terrifying. "Well?"

I looked at him, and then at the fire again. "After Dad left, I had to grow up fast. But Mom didn't want me to, so I had to keep it hidden. I learned really quickly how to slip from one Ash to another. The one everyone knows is a perpetual ten-year-old who always smiles and has something positive to say every day. He's the guy everyone came to when something was bothering them and needed comforting. Just comforting, and once that was done, they would go to someone 'smarter'. Someone who could give them advice on how to fix the situation." I snorted. "And I was stuck as the happy-go-lucky kid who's so stupid sometimes it hurts and yet many find it so endearing. I'm suppose to be the guy who didn't realize it was a Rock type Gym from design alone, the guy doesn't know that a Rhydon's ability is Lightning Rod, the guy who will scan his Pokédex on Pokémon he already knows about, etcetera, etcetera." I sighed. "I'm way past all of that, but that's not Ash. He's not supposed to grow up and understand adult things, he's supposed to be naïve and stupid yet supportive and happy. It's..."

"Frustrating?" Paul offered. "Demeaning? Annoying?"

"Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that," I stated.

He grunted, smiling as he did. "I think I know what to ask next," he said. I looked at him once more. "What is the real you?"

I chuckled quietly. "Find a way to stable yourself," I joked. He chuckled as well. "I could easily give advice, I knew it was a Rock type Gym, I unfortunately forgot about Lightning Rod, I don't understand why I'll scan a Pokémon twice, and so on so forth. I'm a fourteen-year-old boy with the mind of someone older who has to act four years younger than I actually am." He was staring at me, surprised. "What?"

He blinked. "Bullshit."

"Huh?"

"There is  _no way_ you're one year younger than me."

Now I blinked. " _That's_ what you're stuck on?"

"I always thought you couldn't be any older than thirteen."

"Aw shit, I guess I've been getting lazy with my acting. You're supposed to think I'm ten at most." He laughed, and I realized I hadn't heard him do that genuinely before. He needs to do it more often; it has a nice ring. "So, what's the real Paul like?"

He looked up. "In a way you already know him," he answered. I was confused. "Chimchar...heh, guess it's Monferno now, but I was never able to be that cocky and confident." That meant once upon a time, Paul was sweet, kind, and friendly yet slightly timid. He had smiled frequently and had been fun loving and happy and warm. "I laughed often, but I was also a little bit of a crybaby. I had Reggie on a pedestal, and I honestly thought you couldn't find anyone else in the world who was more excited to receive his starter or to catch his first Pokémon." He chuckled emotionlessly. "You know, sometimes I really hate the three of you."

"What have Dawn and Brock done?"

"I mean you, Monferno, and Haley," he informed. "The three of you are taking sledgehammers and breaking my mask and I'll never be able to piece it back together again."

Anyone else would have asked why he would want to keep that mask he had created. But I knew all too well. It's a security blanket, something to make sure no one worries or asks questions that are too painful to answer. "I could easily say the same thing about you, Paul, seeing as how I've never told a soul about any of this," I replied. "What about all of your friends?" would be the question to that statement, if anyone else were hearing this. I knew Paul understood; I decided to explain anyway. "Not even my childhood friends know. They think Dad went on a journey and that Mom and I are without a care in the world. I don't want to worry them, especially since one of them has enough to worry about. He thinks I'm lucky that I still have my parents around. At least his died loving him down to their last breath."

The fire was dying, so we threw more wood onto it. "Well, sometimes I didn't talk to Reggie," Paul said. "Sometimes you just need time to yourself and not have words that are filled with good intentions yet mean nothing thrown at you. Because everything was not always okay."

"So, what did you do when you had time to yourself?"

"Read...watch TV...listen to music, sometimes singing along."

"You sing?"

He moved his eyes away from me. "I...I'm not all that good," he stated.

I hummed. "Somehow I don't buy that," I accused.

Paul was looking at me again. Then he leaned back against his log and looked at the sky.

_So lately, been wondering_

_Who will be there to take my place_

_When I'm gone, you'll need love_

_To light the shadows on your face_

I do have to admit, he was pretty good. It was funny. I could hear the background music as he sang.

_If a great wave shall fall_

_It'd fall upon us all_

_And between the sand and stone_

_Could you make it on your own?_

But God, why this song? Don't get me wrong, I love  _Wherever You Will Go_ , but that's the problem. I'll start singing along like an idiot in no time

_If I could, then I would_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_Way up high or down low_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_(And maybe, I'll find out)_

He was surprised by my sudden take over but I didn't stop, and he just let me go.

_(The way to make it back someday_

_To watch you, to guide you_

_Through the darkest of your days)_

_(If a great wave shall fall_

_It'd fall upon us all_

_Well I hope there's someone out there_

_Who) [can bring me back to you]_

If someone had told us when we first met we would one day be camping in the woods thanks to being separated because another one of Team Rocket's schemes and we would end up talking about our pasts and singing to a song we both liked, we probably would have told them that was wishful thinking on their part.

_[If I could, then I would_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_Way up high or down low_

_I'll go wherever you will go]_

_Run away with my heart_

_Run away with my hope_

_Run away with my love_

_(I know now, just quite how_

_My life and love might still go on_

_In your heart, in your mind_

_I'll stay with you) [for all of time_

_[If I could, then I would_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_Way up high or down low_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_[If I could turn back time_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_If I could make you mine_

_I'll go wherever you will go_

_I'll go wherever you will go]_

The fire crackling was the only sound once more, and then I chuckled. "That was probably the most out of character thing I have seen you do," I told him.

"I blame Haley," Paul replied.

I laughed. "And yet you still like her."

Paul frowned, red streaking across his face. Then the frown transformed into a smirk. An awkward smirk, but a smirk nonetheless, and I didn't like it. "I'll only answer that if you do," he stated. Aw crap, I had accidentally dug myself a hole with that one. "After, of course, we hear what you liked to you in your spare time."

I was still kind of stuck on the fact that I would have to confess who my crush was, but we had made a deal, and I was going to have to live up to it in due time. "Well, I liked to do the same things you did," I confessed. "But I...I...well, uh... I liked to research." I think even the fire stopped at that. "I-I mean, it wasn't anything too deep or spectacular, just...y'know...like, if someone said something earlier in the day that I didn't know about and I was interested, I would look it up. Simple stuff." Paul glared. "O-okay, and a little-" He glared harder. "Quite a bit...still not good enough?"

"No."

"Uh... A large portion of my research was also dedicated to psychology. I don't know, it just...fascinated me. Just how the mind works and everything, I wanted to learn all that I could." I looked down at my feet and shuffled them on the ground. "And archeology. That was the other big topic. I just love ancient cultures and ruins and fossils and all of that stuff." My love for archeology actually caused one of my bigger mistakes, and for once it wasn't because I was acting. I picked up that stone that was on the Pokélantis king's throne of my own free will and curiosity...and got possessed because of it. Internally, I chuckled as I remembered the events. And then I remembered Brandon had been there.

Brandon.

The man both Paul and I had lost to, the man who made us feel small.

I feel like the two of us are two sides of the same coin. But in one short night I learned that sometimes we are on the same side.

Suddenly I felt his gaze. I looked up to see him smirking mischievously. I felt my face heat up. I knew exactly what he was looking for. "I'm not saying it," I told him, looking at the fire.

"I'm pretty sure you're done, and you asked," Paul replied.

"I didn't ask," I defended. "I was pointing out something entirely obvious."

"Just like how my life was obvious?" Point taken.

I took a deep breath as I felt my face heat up even more. "MistyWaterfloweroftheCeruleanGym," I proclaimed so fast I don't even think  _I_ caught it.

"I need to be able to understand you," Paul egged me on.

In went another deep breath as I felt myself basically become a volcano. "Misty Waterflower," I answered. "She's the Gym Leader of the Cerulean Gym, and she was my first traveling partner."

Paul snorted. "You're in love with one of the ditzy Waterflowers?" he asked.

"Misty's the only one who  _isn't_ ditzy and girly, thank you!" I retorted. "She's a tomboy, damn it!"

"Ah." Ah? The hell does that mean? Was it "I see" or "That's the only reason?" or a thousand other things that "Ah" could mean?! God, he's infuriating.

And yet, here I am, still talking to him.

"I mean, she's sweet and optimistic, and she's extremely confident in just about anything she does," I continued, ignoring my confusion on what he meant by his one-worded answer. "Sure, she can get easily frustrated and angry, but I guess that adds to her charm, and overall she's great. So who cares if she has ditzy sisters? I don't."

"Hmm." Why the fuck does he have to be so vague?! I was about to spit out more of my reasoning when I noticed the red on his face.

Oh. So he wanted me to keep talking so that he could prolong his own explanation. I leaned back on my log, hands behind my head.

"And that's about it," I stated.

I heard him shuffle, and I chuckled mischievously mentally. "Really? Are you sure there isn't more about her?" he asked in a desperate attempt to make me keep talking. Oh there was plenty more, for sure, but he had to hold up his end of the bargain. I shook my head. "H-honestly?" Wow, I think that was a first for me. I never thought the day I heard Paul Shinji Zuckerman stutter would come.

Then again, I never thought the day I knew his full name would come. Or...anything about him, really.

"Honestly," I lied. "Come on, Zuckerman."

He growled. "None of this leaves here," he warned.

"Paul, if I said anything about you, that would give you the free will to talk about me," I reasoned. "That would be too much for me to handle."

My rival mumbled out, "Point taken." Then he fell silent. This was probably just as hard for him as it had been for me. I mean, our fucked up lives are one thing. We were probably just so fed up with each other not understanding the other that we just let loose and didn't look back. But confessing love? I'd rather relive that day not too long ago where I had lost to this purple haired Trainer a thousand times over. "I...I have feelings," he finally spit out, "for...Haley Paige Sedai." I could practically hear him screaming,  _Stupid, stupid, STUPID!_ over and over again. Then he groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "God, did you see that dress?" he whispered, and I bet that award money that he was mostly saying it to himself.

"Yeah," I answered. I mean, yes, I had a crush of my own, but when another girl is pretty, they're pretty, and I thought as such. I remembered the moment Haley had stepped onto the stage. About half of the guys, single or not, stopped whatever it was they were doing to stare at her. Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen Paul the most stricken. I really shouldn't have been surprised, but maybe -  _just_ maybe - because this is Paul we're talking about, I was caught off guard a tad. "You got lucky, you know?" I told him.

"I tell that to myself every day," he stated, his hand flopping to his side. "Every single day."

"So what were you doing after we left?" I asked.

"About to have the greatest moment of my life," he answered. "Fucking PA system."

I chuckled. "What does that bring your count to?"

"Five."

"Whoa, that's low. Mine's probably in the hundreds, at _least_."

"Your own fault."

I sighed. "I know." Then I yawned. "Damn, I'm tired, and I didn't even realize it." Suddenly his bag was thrown into my lap. "Huh?"

"You're welcome," Paul said. I looked over and narrowed my eyes at the sight.

"Jackass."

He smirked as he laid out on his sleeping bag, hands behind his head. "You're the one who didn't bring his backpack along with him," he replied.

I huffed. "First my belt, now my backpack, excuse me," I muttered.

"Always got to be prepared, Mister Archeologist."

"Right back at you, Mister Businessman." Then something clicked in my head. I suddenly and uncontrollably started laughing.

"What?"

"Your dad set you up with  _Ursula_!" I laughed.

I heard him growl. "Give me the bag," he demanded.

"No way!"

"It's my bag, give it."

"You gave it to me," I responded, my laughter dying.

"And now I want it back."

I smirked and held it out as far away from him as possible. "You want it, come get it," I taunted. "But that means you'd have to get off of that oh so comfortable sleeping bag, and then I might just take it."

He growled again. "Whatever," he grumbled. "Jackass."

"What goes around comes around." He smirked and then laid back on his sleeping bag. I set his bag on the ground, unzipped my vest, bundled it up, and placed it on the bag. Then I took off my hat, lied down with my head on my makeshift pillow, and put my hat over my eyes. "Night, Zuckerman," I said for reasons I can't explain.

Paul didn't say anything, not like I expected him to. "Night, Ketchum." My eyes were wide, then I blinked and smiled, and my eyes closed as I drifted off to sleep.

It had been a long day.

...

Argh, shit! The light fucking hurts! I moaned, then turned away from it and slowly opened my eyes. I grunted. Damn, stupid, fucking hat. I grabbed the strap of my bag and yanked it out from under his head, which not only made his head thump on the ground, but also knocked his hat off.  _Take that, asshole._  "Argh, sunlight!" he hissed. "Paul, what the hell?"

"Get up and stop complaining," I grumbled, putting my bag on. "We've got to get moving."

"I get that, but do you have to be such an ass about it?"

"That's just what I do," I stated as I stood up.

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled and finally stood up as well, putting on his vest and hat. "Well, let's get moving." He pointed towards me. "That way was west, right?"

Somehow, lucky for us, we had found a campsite surrounded by trees with low branches. I quickly climbed one, took a glance, and climbed back down. "That's right," I answered. He nodded, and we started where we had left off.

For a while it was silent, and unlike the day before, I didn't feel like I was going to suffocate from the thick tension. Maybe it was because we weren't as annoyed at each other as we had been, or maybe it was because we knew more about each other. It was strange about how similar we really were. I bet Brock knew, and maybe Haley realized it too, and the two of us should have as well. But maybe we had been so wrapped up in hating each other that we refused to acknowledge it. Suddenly I felt this gaping hole in my chest. Why? What caused this feeling? It made no sense to me. "Hey Paul," Ash suddenly spoke. I looked at him, and he looked at me. Then his gaze fell to the ground. "Never mind."

"No, what?"

"I said never mind."

"Damn it, do we have to go through this again?"

He sighed. "Last night doesn't mean we're friends," he stated...sadly? Was there actually a hint of sadness in his voice, or was I just imagining that?

I scoffed. "I know that," I replied. And for some reason...that hurt. Why? I spent most of this journey hating him. Well...I did have to respect his persistence in trying to prove me wrong, in trying to beat me, in never giving up even when he should have. And I did respect him more thanks to the night before. But that was all; he just gained more respect, nothing more...right?

"Hmph," I heard. "Good." But I noted it was quite, a little unsure, and still a little sad. Damn it, what the hell is wrong with us?

Suddenly we were stopped by something that had jumped out of the bushes. I was both extremely grateful and absolutely annoyed. Grateful because it got me to forget the weird sensation I was having, and annoyed because the "something" were actually "someones". A trio of annoying someones. "Alright, twerps, hand us your Pokémon that we stole!" the woman shouted.

First off, I realized that somehow Infernape, Gardevoir, and Pikachu escaped. Second, even if we had our Pokémon, why would we hand them over? And third, since we didn't, that meant we had no way of defending ourselves. Knowing their stupidity, we would probably be used as bait or something. Ash and I eyed each other.

We sprinted north.

As fast as we could we ran through the forest, with a cry of "Get back here!" behind us. Like they actually expected us to stop. Then we turned, heading west again, and I heard them running behind us still. Man, they're fast. "How far were we when you last checked?" Ash asked.

"Closer than when we checked last night," I answered.

He huffed. "I just wish they would fuck off," he grumbled.

"You and me both."

We just kept running. What other choice did we have? And then... "Oh thank all that's holy!" Ash shouted.

"Let's see...that's Mew, Arceus, and-"

"Just shut up," he interrupted as we finally broke through the trees and onto the main road. Like idiots we stopped to catch our breath.

"Carnivine, Bullet Seed!"

Fuck!

North was our destination once more as we dodged the rain of small seeds. At least the attack wasn't Seed Bomb, but still. We just kept running, and I swear my lungs were catching fire. "Seviper, Poison Tail!"

"Use Bite, Carnivine!"

Why me?!

The two of us looked back to see the two Pokémon lunge for us. Right before they hit us, Pikachu and Infernape flew past us and hit the two with Quick Attack and Mach Punch. The thieves' Pokémon flew back and landed near their Trainers, who stopped and panicked. I turned. Brock had a look of disapproval. Troublesome and Bandana were agitated.

And Haley had her infamous chill-you-to-the-bone glare.

Oh boy, they were so in for it.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Troublesome commanded.

"Infernape, Flamethrower!" Haley shouted.

"Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!" Bandana ordered.

"Sudowoodo, use Mimic and copy Flamethrower!" Brock called out.

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen him so angry.

The four attacks fired, and when they collided, the criminals let out a scream, there was an explosion, and then they were flying off.

"We're blasting off again!" they shouted. And then they were gone, followed by a twinkle in the sky.

Seriously, they should meet up with the Lowells.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried. His Pokémon jumped into his arms and they cuddled. After spending an entire night with his other half, this just seemed...weird. I swear I will never be able to see him the same again.

"Ash, we're glad to see you're okay," Bandana said with a smile.

He laughed. "Yeah, we made it through just fine," he replied. "Right, Paul?"

I huffed. "Whatever."

Troublesome huffed as well. "Why shouldn't I be surprised?" she muttered. Then she pointed at Haley but never stopped glaring at me. "You know, you had her worried sick."

"Dawn, it wasn't that bad," Haley stated.

"That's right, you were too busy trying to fend off Ursula," Troublesome responded.

Haley growled. "Gardevoir, return," she mumbled. With the Psychic type back in her Poké Ball, Haley spun on her heels and stormed off to the Pokémon Center, most likely to return her.

I was slightly confused, but only slightly. I mean, this  _was_  Pigtails we were talking about. "Ursula was giving her a hard time, saying it was all her fault you were stuck in the woods," Brock explained. "Of course, that didn't make her feel any better. She wasn't worried sick, but she was still worried."

"Ah," was all that came out of my mouth. Suddenly I noticed Infernape beside me, looking glum.

"In, Infernape," he muttered. He was probably saying sorry for not having a tight enough grip. I shook my head, and he looked at me. Then he gave off a small smile.

"Hey, come on guys, let's go!" Ash exclaimed. "I can't wait to get my next badge!" I thought I saw a hint of a smirk, like he somehow knew I only had six badges, so in response I stealthily gave him the middle finger. He just smiled, and I knew what he really wanted to do was smirk even bigger.

"I wish you luck," Bandana replied. "I'm going to head off to Celestic Town."

"Have fun, and good luck in the Johto Grand Festival!" Troublesome told her. Ash and Brock nodded in agreement. "Paul, can you tell Haley we said goodbye?"

"If I feel like it," I answered. She huffed and stormed off, forcing her traveling parents to run and catch up with her, waving and calling out to the other girl as she moved north. So now it was just Infernape and I standing in the middle of the road. "Some friends of hers they are," I mumbled. Infernape shrugged. A couple minutes later Haley walked back, looking like she had swallowed lemons. I chuckled as she approached. "And what made you all sour?" I asked.

She stopped and looked at me, and her gaze softened to sad and guilty. She looked at the ground. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Hold on, why are you listening to Pigtails, huh?" Haley giggled a little at my nickname for the annoying rich girl, but then she went to a sad smile, almost a frown. "I'm serious, it wasn't your fault."

"But they were my Pokémon," she argued. " _I_  should have gone up there-"

"I wouldn't have let you," I interrupted. "I'd be even more worried than you were." Suddenly, her arms were around my neck, her head was buried into the crook of my neck, and her body was close. I could feel the heat of her body seeping into my skin.

"You can't say that when you don't know how worried I was," she whimpered, her voice a bit muffled.

I hooked my arms around her back. "How worried were you?" I asked in an almost whisper.

"I didn't fall asleep until 3 a.m. this morning," she informed.

"I wouldn't have slept at all," I told her.

Her head pulled back so we were looking at each other. So that I was looking at those hazels. "I barely ate."

"I wouldn't have eaten a bite."

She connected our foreheads. Her skin radiated even more heat. "I hardly sat still." Her voice was a whisper now.

This time, I moved as I connected our noses. "I would have been a fidgeting mess." Now my voice was at a whisper as well.

Haley was obviously running out of reasons, and I was running out of self-control. "I...I..."

"BRUT, WHERE ARE YOU?! AND WHERE'S MY PAULIE?!"

One inch. One fucking inch.

Not to mention she now has a pet name for me. Fantastic.

Infernape started chattering. Shit, I forgot he was there. "Infernape says we have thirty seconds," Haley relayed.

I grunted in amusement. "Well, I've been running all morning, but one more quick dash shouldn't hurt." She finally smiled, and the three of us took off. While we ran, Haley pulled her backpack off and dug through it. She pulled something out and then put her backpack back on.

"New belt," she stated, handing it to me. "And everyone's accounted for."

I smiled, took it, and put it on. "Thanks." She nodded.

"So, what happened last night between the two of you?" she asked.

"A little change in perspective," I answered. There was a voice of confusion. "Maybe I'll tell it to you one day."

"As long as neither of you killed each other, I'm fine," she replied. I chuckled.

And we kept running, not realizing that the next big event wouldn't be a Sunyshore Gym Battle.

* * *

 

**A/N: Ah, how I love being the fisherman, and all of you are my little Magikarps on fishing lines. MUHAHAHAHAHA!**

**…I think there's something wrong with me.**


	37. The World As We Know It

They hadn't talked for a day and a half, but it wasn't because of an argument. Paul almost wished that had been the problem. Instead, their silence came from the shock of the aura of the city a day and a half behind them.

Having lived in Veilstone almost his whole life, Paul could instantly tell something was wrong when they were about to enter from the Route 215 side. As a result, he had led Haley through a path that went through the woods outside the city. They had snuck to Paul's house to say hi to Reggie (they hadn't seen or heard from him since he dropped them off in Celestic Town) and figure out what was causing the unpleasant aura.

Paul had never truly realized how petty the people of his home city really were.

Seriously, Chase had been gone for weeks, and they were still upset at the news about his sexual orientation, and it shocked the two teens into total silence. Haley looked the most offended, and Paul guessed it was because of that friend she had mention when he and Chase found her on Route 217. That wasn't to say Paul wasn't offended, either, but it just seemed to hit her harder.

And when he stopped looking at his moving feet and at where his feet were going, he frowned even worse than he had before.

Lake Valor.

As if enough emotional baggage had been dumped on him already, now they were at the place that reminded him of the worst two weeks of his Sinnoh journey.

It was that sight of the crystal clear lake, though, that made him realize how sick he was of these negative emotions. He had to make them stop before he found himself with a permanent scowl again. "So, I go first," Paul decided, finally breaking the day and a half silence.

Haley jumped slightly in surprise at the sound of his voice, but quickly realized what he was doing. "No, because you went first at the Snowpoint Gym, so it's my turn," she argued.

"I would agree, but you're the one with seven badges," Paul pointed out.

She rolled her eyes. "The Pokémon League is going to be on the same day whether you go first or not," she replied.

Paul sighed. "Fine, you can go first," he caved in.

The black haired teen nodded, looking proud of herself. Then she gave off a confused look before her features softened and she giggled. "Thanks, Paul," she said.

He smiled back and shrugged. "I figured we needed a change of mood," he stated.

"Yeah, we did," Haley agreed. "But look at you, being the one to try and change it. I'm glad."

"What, you never thought I could?" he asked, sounding offended but having a playful smirk on his face.

Her response was to playfully push him, to which he chuckled. They walked in silence again, but this time it wasn't thick with tension and uncomfortable. Paul quietly inhaled the fresh scent of the air, finally feeling like a weight had lifted itself off of his shoulders, and suddenly it felt like the rest if the day would be smooth sailing.

"Red?" someone piped up in surprise, and the friends stopped. They looked in the direction the voice had come from, and Paul watched a grin grow on Haley's face.

"Gary!" she shouted, and she ran to give the other male a hug. Paul followed, studying the guy the whole way.

His spiky mahogany hair was all over the place, and Paul honestly couldn't say if he thought Ash's was more unruly or this guy's. He had dark viridian eyes, and he was wearing a black collared t-shirt, purple wristbands, a gray bag around his waist, purple pants, and black shoes. At his side was an Umbreon, who looked just as happy to see Haley as its Trainer. "It's been forever, Red!" Gary exclaimed as he rubbed her head. Haley slapped his hand away but her grin never faded. "How's life been treatin ya?"

"Good, bad, the usual ups and downs," Haley told him. "How about you? Jeez, when was it we last saw each other, Johto?"

"Sounds about right," he voiced. "Well, you know, research has been going well. Gramps helped me snag a place with Professor Rowan."

"How would he have done that?" Paul asked.

The two old friends finally noticed he was at their side. "Oh right, sorry, Paul," Haley laughed nervously. She cleared her throat. "Gary, this is my friend and my traveling partner Paul Shinji. Paul, this is Gary Oak-"

"As in  _the_ Professor Oak?" Paul questioned in disbelief.

"Yep, that's my Gramps!" Gary confirmed, beaming.

Paul stared at him with wide eyes. "How do you know someone like him?" he barely got out.

"He's my Kanto rival's childhood...friend? I still don't know if she hates you or is completely head-over-heels for you," Haley mulled over.

"Red, she's so head-over-heels she's done two front flips and almost completed a third," Gary stated, a hint of smugness and confidence in his voice.

The purple haired Trainer now gave him the "Really?" look. "You're one of  _those_ types, I see," he muttered.

"Can't help it if I got the looks ladies love," he replied, running a hand through his hair. Paul rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, what are you doing here at Lake Valor?" Haley inquired.

Suddenly the playboy look in his eyes and the playful nature were gone, and Gary was serious. "Well, we got word that Pokémon Hunter J might be here soon to capture the Legendary Pokémon Azelf that's in the lake," he informed.

"Wait, Hunter J?" Paul repeated.

"Who's that?" Haley asked.

"She the most notorious Pokémon Hunter in all of Sinnoh," Paul explained. "If she has a target, she doesn't stop until it's hers, and then she puts the Pokémon she stole up on the black market.

"How do you have so much info on someone I would think would prefer to hide?"

"She's a strange case, that one," Gary answered Haley's question. "She keeps her movements hidden, but she has no problem in letting the world know she's the one responsible. I wouldn't just say Pokémon Hunter J's the most notorious in Sinnoh, I'd say the whole world."

Haley looked at him, apprehensive but determined. "Okay, but what does she want with the Legendary Pokémon?" she questioned.

"The only thing Hunter J is interested in is money," Gary stated. "She doesn't get the Pokémon so she can keep them, and if it's Azelf she's after, then we can suspect only one possible client: Team Galactic."

The two other teens tensed. "Team Galactic?!" Paul hissed.

"Not those creeps again," Haley spat.

"You've run into them before?" Gary inquired.

"At the Valley Windworks right outside Floaroma Town," Haley told him. "Man, that feels like forever ago."

"We also left the day before they had those Team Rocket idiots try to steal the Adamant Orb," Paul remembered. "And if I'll be honest, I was in Veilstone City the day they stole one of the meteorites, but I was...unavailable."

"Oh, and we were just a day late to help the Celestic Town Historical Research Center," Haley added.

Gary looked at them. "Wow, you two have run into them quite a bit," he noted.

"Even so, it's not like we've been able to do anything to help out," Haley brought up. Then she looked as if she were thinking of something. "Although..." She looked at Paul. "Did you know about the attack on Celestic Town?"

Paul looked at the other two, and since Cyrus' threat was now completely null and void, he decided to come out with it a few months too late. "I did," he replied. Gary looked surprised, and Haley was clearly waiting for an explanation as to why he didn't tell her and why they didn't move faster. "I ran into Team Galactic's leader while in the Solaceon Ruins," he began. Now both of them were surprised. "Unfortunately, I learned that he's someone I know, and he knows things others don't that I wish to keep under wraps. He told me of their plans but threatened to reveal my secret if I told anyone."

They continued to stare with surprised eyes. "But, Paul-"

"Haley, please don't take offense, but it's something I don't want even you to know," Paul interrupted. "At least, not now. It's only something a few people know, and I don't want to have to reveal it to any more people than I have to."

She looked downcast yet understanding. "Did he say anything about what they're planning to do?" Gary asked urgently.

He nodded. "Although, it might be information you've already learned or inferred yourself," Paul warned. Gary urged him on anyway. "Team Galactic is planning on creating a world with no emotions, and the leader plans to summon Dialga and Palkia in order to do it." The Trainers froze in place. "But the thing is, the leader wants the world for himself. He's lying to his entire organization just so he can get what he wants." Paul looked and even felt a little sick as he growled, "And he wanted me to come along."

"You told him he can go fuck himself, right?" Haley hissed.

"Of course I did," he assured

"Was there anything about the Lake Spirits?" Gary questioned with even more urgency.

"No, I wish," Paul grumbled. "That's probably more important than what I just spouted."

"Not necessarily," Gary argued. "We now know what they - or, I should say he wants, and it's confirmed now that he wants Dialga and Palkia. Combined with the fact that Carolina helped us figure out that Mt. Coronet is involved, I'd say we're doing good."

"Knowing all of that isn't going to help  _us_ , though," Haley replied. "Hunter J's coming here to get Azelf, and we know that we shouldn't let that happen because it'll probably make things worse for the world as we know it. But we need a plan to stop her, and that's hard to do when she could just appear out of nowhere."

The boys looked at her. "She's right," Paul pointed out.

Gary thought. "That's true," he muttered. Then he smirked. "Well, we're all top Trainers; let's just show her why."

Haley chuckled. "Leaf's old personality got to you, Gary," she stated.

"Well, maybe she's not the only one who's head-over-heels," he admitted with a grin.

So the three waited for Hunter J to show up, keeping a close eye on the sky and scanning the shores of the lake as well. And even though Paul knew keeping their senses sharp was the more important thing, the silence of just waiting around was a tad unbearable. "So, a childhood friend of Haley's Kanto rival," he said to Gary.

The teen researcher looked at Paul and smiled. "Yeah, and sometimes when I tried to meet up with Leafy, Red would show up and spice things up." He chuckled. "Man, watching them go at it was like watching a Zangoose and a Seviper. Honestly, though, it was kind of hot."

"Sure, if you think girls mauling each other is hot," Paul retorted, rolling his eyes.

Gary laughed. "You don't know how many times I thought of throwing my best friend in the middle of it just to see how he would deal with it," he confessed. "Poor guy."

"Your best friend?" Paul questioned dryly.

"Well, when we was traveling through Kanto, he wasn't," Gary told him, seeming kind of ashamed. "It was my fault. I was being a huge ass because...well, I had big shoes to fill. Gramps was originally an amazing Trainer before he became a Researcher, so everyone was expecting me to be a strong Trainer, too." He took a deep breath before saying, "And my dad as well. He was a good Trainer, so there was that riding on my shoulders."

Paul nodded, and then something flashed in his head.

_I don't want to worry them, especially since one of them has enough to worry about._

"You wouldn't happen to know a guy named Ash Ketchum, would you?" Paul suddenly asked.

"Yeah, I do," Gary answered. "But how did you guess that?"

"He's actually my rival, and I remembered he's from Pallet Town," Paul explained. "I figured you knew him."

"Yep! He's my best friend." He chuckled. "I should probably apologize for my behavior in Kanto, but then again, he's so happy-go-lucky he probably didn't think twice after Johto."

_He thinks I'm lucky that I still have my parents around._

Paul shrugged. "He can be an idiot sometimes, though if I'll be honest, he's good at judging someone's mood."

Gary nodded. "Ash was the guy who could cheer up anyone. Gets it from his parents, you know."

_At least his died loving him down to their last breath._

"I'm sure," Paul replied, trying to hide disappointment.

"Although..." Paul raised an eyebrow at a mulling Gary. "I've always had this nagging suspicion that he's hiding something from me. I just don't know what."

The purple haired Trainer looked at his rival's best friend, and then looked to the sky as if he was searching for Pokémon Hunter J - which he kind of was - but he mostly didn't want Gary to see his smile.  _Your friends aren't as unobservant as you thought,_ he told himself.

They continued to watch the sky and the surrounding area, and in some ways Paul was getting a little antsy. He had to admit to himself that he always wanted to see the notorious Pokémon Hunter if only to get a glimpse at one of the most wanted criminals. But he never actually wanted to take her head on. And when Gary's Umbreon began to growl, he had a suspicion he would have to fight her soon. "Umbreon, do you sense danger?" Haley asked.

Umbreon looked up at her. "I do," he confirmed. "I think it might be Pokémon Hunter J."

Haley nodded. "Guys, get ready," she told her friends. "She'll be here any second."

Paul took out a Poké Ball, and Gary gripped the walkie-talkie he had to communicate with Professor Rowan. They waited about half a minute before a giant airship appeared in the sky, dropping the invisibility cloak it had up. "Come on, Professor Rowan. This is Gary at Lake Valor," he immediately reported. "Pokémon Hunter J has appeared.

"Alright, we'll get in touch with Yuzo at Lake Verity and Carolina at Lake Acuity," the professor informed over the device.

Gary nodded. "Okay, guys, you ready?" His fellow Trainers nodded. "Umbreon, let's go!"

"Right!" he agreed, and then Gary brought out his Electivire.

"Empoleon, we're going to need you!" Haley called out as she released the Water-Steel type. Paul followed with his Froslass, but before the seven of them could take off-

"Toxicroak, use Dark Pulse," someone from behind commanded calmly. The teens and their Pokémon turned their heads just in time to see the attack flying towards them. Luckily, Electivire got in the way and blocked it, but it did bring him to one knee. The Trainers looked to find two Galactic grunts and a man with dark blue hair. Standing in front of him was the Toxicroak in question. "Get lost," the man ordered.

Of course, the three weren't going to obey. "You must be Team Galactic," Gary assumed, his eyes filled with anger.

"And I bet you're a commander, just like Mars is," Haley guessed, growling.

The man glared at all three of them. "That's correct," he replied. "I am Commander Saturn. Now, as I said, get lost."

"As if," Paul spat. "Froslass, use Ice Beam!"

"Umbreon, use Shadow Ball!" Gary ordered. The two Pokémon fired.

"Toxicroak, use X-Scissor," Saturn told it, and the Toxic Mouth Pokémon charged, ducking under the projectiles and hitting the two dead on. Froslass didn't look too effected, but being weak to Bug type attacks, Umbreon was flung back and looked really banged up.

Haley grunted. "Empoleon, Bubblebeam!" Her Pokémon opened his beak and fired the stream of bubbles.

"Counter with Dark Pulse." The two attacks clashed.

"Froslass, Water Pulse!" Paul commanded. She formed the water sphere and threw it at the Poison-Fighting type. It stopped its attack and jumped out of the way of both Water type attacks.

Saturn scowled, but then his eyes moved to the sky, and he smirked. "Finally," he chuckled.

The teens turned and realized too late that Saturn was only there as a distraction. They watched hopelessly as a strange-looking bomb hit the water, but rather than create an explosion, it made a whirlpool. Or, at least, it looked like a whirlpool. And they watched as a crackling ball of energy rose out from the center. "What just happened?" Haley questioned.

"Allow me to enlighten." The Trainers turned and glared at the commander. "The Galactic Bomb, made out of the meteorite taken from Veilstone City, is powerful enough to rip a hole in space." Paul couldn't believe this. Were these people that fucking crazy?! "You see, the Lake Pokémon don't exactly live in a lake, as it were. The truth is the Lake Pokémon simply observe our world through another dimension that  _looks_ very much like a lake. And so the only way to get them out is to use that bomb. Now all Hunter J has to is collect our prize."

"Empoleon, we're not letting that happening!" Haley exclaimed, and her Pokémon nodded as they dashed to the water. But before they went in, one of the grunts fired a metal ring that secured itself around Haley, pinning her arms to her sides. Then with a beep, electricity went off, causing the teen to scream before she sank to the ground, unconscious.

Paul and Gary stared at her, horrified, and then they spun around, fire in their eyes. "You're going to pay!" Paul vowed, but in an instant he too was caught in a metal ring. It fired off electricity as well, but Paul noted it wasn't as strong. Perhaps that was on purpose. It did leave him wobbly, though. Meanwhile, Gary took decisive action and began to command all four Pokémon, trying to stop the woman atop the Salamance. Toxicroak prevented the four Pokémon from doing anything, and while the grunts released a horde of Golbats, Saturn walked over to Paul while Gary was distracted with Toxicroak. The man grabbed the collar of Paul's shirt.

"Master Cyrus wants you and your friend to come with us," he told the teen quietly.

He growled. "If he thinks I'm going to agree this time he's an even bigger idiot than I already thought!" Paul spat.

"No. He just wants to make sure you two are in his sights. We knew Professor Rowan would send someone to try and stop Pokémon Hunter J, so we've been here for quite a few hours, ready to thwart whomever it was. Even if it is an Oak, he's been out of the League for years, but Master Cyrus figured if you and that girl were to come along it would spell trouble. Good thing we were prepared when you two happened to stroll by." Paul tried to kick him, but Saturn pushed the button of a small remote in his hand, causing the electricity to start up again. "Don't struggle, Zuckerman, you'll only make things worse for yourself." Then he shoved Paul to the ground. "Now just sit back and watch."

What else could he do? It was getting hard to follow, though, since his vision was going in and out. Thanks to Salamance, Azelf awoke, and Hunter J clearly outmatched it. Then it was put in a capsule and- He grunted; his head hurt. Then the other two - Mesprit and Uxie - showed up, and not long after that Mars bitch and some other woman with a Skuntank- no, no, he couldn't go unconscious just yet. He watched through fading vision as the other two Lake Pokémon fired off Future Sights before they too were captured with ease. Now all five of them were in the same boat - or rather, airship - as Team Galactic took them all. He vaguely heard Gary's protests, along with the protests of their Pokémon, and he grunted. The only reason they beat them was through cheap tricks. If they hadn't been such cowards they wouldn't have any of the Legendary Pokémon at all. Pokémon Hunter J flew off, having lived up to the reputation Paul had heard of.

Even in his half conscious state, he could feel how threatening she was when she had been talking to the three commanders.

But then the two Future Sights activated, hitting Hunter J's ship dead on. The last thing Paul saw before blacking out was the ship plunging into the water and an explosion rising from below the surface mere seconds later.

...

Paul woke up in a dark room, the only light source being the crack underneath the door. It gave him enough light to know that Haley, who was still unconscious, was in there with him and that the room was narrow - being about 6 or 7 feet - and short, around 8 feet. He groaned a little; his head still hurt. Then he heard voices coming from the other side of the door. He moved quietly and leaned up against the door to hear. "Ugh, my head," he heard Haley moan from behind him. "Paul, where are we?"

He shushed her and then motioned her to come to the door with his head. She silently obeyed and leaned against the metal as well.

"I suppose I can tell you what this is about," they heard Cyrus say. It sounded as if he was talking to someone, but Paul didn't care at the moment. He was more concerned with how wide Haley's eyes were.

"Cyrus?" she whispered in surprise. "What's he doing here?"

Her friend didn't answer. He didn't have to; Cyrus answered himself. "I am part of this," he explained. "Team Galactic is  _my_ creation."

"Wh-what?" Haley gasped. "Cyrus Levy, the same guy who helped build every library and museum in Sinnoh-"

"Used it to help create an emotionless world for his own personal gain," Paul growled. "It's disgusting."

"So it was  _you_ who stole orb from the Celestic Ruins!" they heard a new voice shout, and now both of them had wide eyes.  _Ash?_ "You lied to all of us and you lied to Cynthia, too!"

"Lose your rage," Cyrus advised, sounding eerily calm. "It only destroys."

"No way!" Dawn interjected.  _They're here, but why? What's going on?_ "Not when you treat Pokémon that way! This has got to stop! Now let them go back to their lake!"

"That can't be done," the leader informed. "They're quite necessary in order to bring forth the new world."

How the duo hated being behind closed doors. There was nothing they could do, and they couldn't even see what was going on. Worse, Team Galactic had been smart and took their belts, putting their teams who-knows-where. And they had no way of knowing if Ash and his friends had their Pokémon or if they had been captured, too. "Paul, I don't like this," Haley said. He agreed to that.

"Obviously these children must mean something important if the legendary Pokémon saw fit to bring them all here," Cyrus mused. So they hadn't been captured directly, but they still didn't know if now they were trapped. "We will need to keep them around until our task is completed, just in case."

"Damn it," Haley hissed. "We have to do something!"

"I wish we could," Paul muttered.

"You won't get away with it!" Ash vowed, and for whatever reason Paul just knew he had slipped into his other skin even though his voice didn't reveal that. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

They did! They had their Pokémon! Paul suddenly got the idea that maybe (hopefully) the trio could get he and Haley out of their cell. He heard the Electric attack fire, and then he heard Dawn's Piplup fire off a Bubblebeam, and then he heard glass braking. The Veilstone Trainer figured that had to be the cages the Lake Trios were held in. There was a spilt second lull in the action - probably from Team Galactic's shock - and Paul used that to his advantage. "Ash!" he yelled as he kicked the door with his foot.

There was a collective noise of confusion. "Paul?" the Pallet Trainer responded.

"Brock, Dawn, we need help!" Haley cried, slamming into the door a few times. Of course, the door wasn't budging, and the metal ring made it hard to move. The girl grunted. "Team Galactic, you bunch of cowards! Let us free and fight us like the adults you are!"

Cyrus grunted in annoyance. "Insolent children. Saturn, shut them up." Before the teens could shout against it, the metal bands activated again, and Paul was sure his electrical current was stronger this time. They screamed in agony and collapsed onto the ground. But Paul did get in two last words before he went unconscious again.

"You...bastard..."

...

Once again, Paul woke up lying on the metal floor and with another headache. At least the room was a bit bigger this time, and there were lights. Dim ones, but still. He also noticed the metal band that had held his arms at his sides had been replaced with cuffs that tied his wrists together. And there was the noise of a helicopter blade, and five figures with their backs to him, cuffed like he was. They were talking, though it was a little muffled to him since he was still recovering, and then he saw them nod. Did they have a plan? If they did, he wanted to know. He sat up, grunting as he did, making the trio, Pikachu, and Piplup jump slightly before they turned around. "Paul, are you okay?" Ash asked.

Paul looked at the black haired boy and thought,  _I've had better days_ , hoping somehow he would know. Ash blinked, but somehow his rival knew it wasn't in confusion like usual. Verbally, he responded with the usual, "Whatever."

Dawn huffed. "He's just concerned," she stated. "How about being nice for once?"

"I'm never nice." The ten-year-old huffed again.

"I really want to stop getting hit by semis," Haley groaned. Everyone turned their heads to watch her slowly sit up. She shook her head and looked over at the group. "Oh, you guys got captured, too," she noted sadly.

"They took us hostage just in case Mesprit, Azelf, and Uxie brake free of their control," Brock revealed.

Haley snorted. "As I said, cowards, all of them," she insulted. "But why you three? I mean, Team Galactic already has us. They could have used us as the hostages."

"The six of us are connected," Dawn explained. "Ash and Azelf, Brock and Uxie, and Mesprit and I. It makes us kind of important." Haley nodded in understanding, and Paul thought about it, and it made a lot of sense. Ash was willpower, Brock was knowledge, and Troublesome was emotion. He almost laughed at the last one but was able to hold his tongue. "What about you guys?"

"They're afraid of how strong we are," Haley replied. "It's also kind of our fault, though. We didn't have to help, but we stuck our noses in anyway." For once, Paul didn't really mind that they had. He just wished Team Galactic hadn't been a bunch of cowards. "Of course, that's not to say I  _didn't_ want to help. Besides, I'm pretty sure Gary would have killed me if I just walked away."

"Gary?" Ash repeated. "As in Gary Oak?"

She nodded. "I shouldn't be surprised. You're both from Pallet Town, and it's pretty small."

"Is he all right?" Ash inquired.

"As far as I know, yes," Haley reported. "They didn't capture him, if that's what you're wondering. Now he's watching over two of our Pokémon."

The group of five frowned. "That's right, they took our belts," Dawn stated.

Paul breathed in through his nose as he leaned against the wall. "Guess we just have to hope and pray," he muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. There was a collective sigh of disappointment.

Of course, waiting for something to happen while they were right in the middle of a world-effecting crisis didn't help anyone's impatience. They sat around fidgeting, wondering when there would be even the slightest of chances to escape. When they felt the helicopter land on the ground, they pleaded this would give them the chance they wanted.

Unfortunately, the only time a chance appeared, it was doomed right from the start.

Jupiter tossed in four new roommates, and Paul growled at the sight of three of them. "Great, stuck in a cell with losers more pathetic than him," he hissed.

"Don't be so high and mighty, angry twerp, you got captured, too!" the male countered.

Ash looked at Paul, showing him - and only him - he was equally annoyed. "But what's Team Rocket doing here anyway?" Dawn pondered. "And with Looker, too."

 _Looker?_ Paul repeated.  _The fuck kind of name is that? That sounds like a name for a pedophile._ The man in the brown trench coat lifted his head, equally confused as to why the gang of three was locked up in the first place. While they were distracted, Jupiter went to close the door. Haley ran towards the magenta haired woman, but was met with metal to her face. She tumbled backwards and fell on the female Team Rocket member, who let out a cry in surprise. "Well, at least the landing was soft," Haley moaned, still in pain from the door.

"I am  _not_ a landing mat!" the woman cried.

"Clearly, but thanks for acting as one." The woman began fuming, and Paul bit his tongue again.

"So what are we going to do now?" Dawn mused once everyone was sitting down.

Looker closed his eyes in thought. "Guess we just wait," he responded.

"As if we haven't been doing that already," Paul huffed. "Thanks. You're a tremendous help."

The other kids huffed at his attitude, but it wasn't as if they could argue. Then they heard the sound of heels, and just as they looked at the door opened, revealing Cynthia. Everyone jumped to their feet in surprise. "It's the Champion," Looker stated.

"Thanks for getting in touch with me, Looker," she replied, as cheerful yet calm as ever.

"You know him?" Paul inquired.

His cousin looked at him and smiled bigger. "He's part of the International Police," she revealed.

Paul was dumbfounded. "Interpol?" he questioned.

"And out of all the code names you could pick, you pick the one that makes you sound like a stalker," Haley mumbled under her breath. "Why not 'Handsome' or 'Beladonis' or 'Pan Ciacho' or, I don't know,  _any_ thing else?" This time, Paul couldn't help but snicker just a tad.

Cynthia took all of their cuffs off, and then - with Looker's help - tied up three grunts and Jupiter, who had been guarding the aircraft. Team Rocket gloated for reasons Paul didn't care, but the Galactic admin tried to get in the last laugh. "It's too late," she reported. "The world as you know it is going to end."

"We'll see about that," Ash vowed. Then there was a rumbling, and Jupiter chuckled.

"It's starting~," she sang ominously. "The Boss is summoning the rulers of time and space to create a whole new world."

"Ash, you and the other two have to get down there now!" Paul barked.

"Don't need to tell me twice," the fourteen-year-old agreed.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Ashy-boy?" a familiar voice asked, and when everyone turned to him, Gary tossed them their belts. All five Trainers caught them, and the young researcher smirked. "Come on, Red, the three of us have a few bones to pick, right? We gotta make sure there's a path free of all those damn grunts."

Haley and Paul nodded. "Thanks, Gary!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Thank me by making sure the world doesn't go up in smoke," he told her. "Let's get moving, people!"

Everyone eagerly agreed.

Pokémon in hand, the Trainers ran outside to witness Empoleon and Froslass fighting off a horde of Golbats. Helping them out were Gary's Pidgeot and Houndoom, and Cynthia's Garchomp. And they were doing a good job until the grunts decided to add Haunters to the mix, too. "Empoleon, Bubblebeam to your right!" Haley suddenly ordered. Thankfully not distracted by the reunion with his Trainer, the Water-Steel type did as she said and shot a furious stream of bubbles right before a Haunter attacked Froslass. Haley ran up to her Pokémon. "Glad to see you're both doing well," she greeted.

They smiled. "We have Gary and Pidgeot to thank for that," the Ice-Ghost type informed.

"Yeah, Gary wanted to book it for Mt. Coronet as soon as he knew it was safe," Empoleon added. Then he shook out his fins. "Those talons hurt, though."

Haley giggled, and then she looked to her spiky haired friend. "Thanks Gary, I really owe ya!" she shouted.

Gary finished ordering his Houndoom to use Flamethrower at some Grimer the grunts added to the mix - which the attack helped clear the way for Ash, his friends, and Garchomp (since Cynthia wanted her to go with them) to make a break for it - before he called back. "No problem, Red. Couldn't have done it without Cynthia."

"Poor guy didn't know exactly where on the mountain to head," the Champion explained as she unleashed her Milotic on a pack of Mankeys. "So, I helped him out."

"Glad you could join," Paul said as Froslass used Water Pulse on a few Golbats. "These grunts just won't stop sending out Pokémon. I'm expecting a swarm of Beedrill at any second."

"Afraid you couldn't handle it on your own, Cousin?" Cynthia teased.

Paul let out an amused yet annoyed chuckle. "In your dreams," he countered.

Since the top Trainers were finally in control with no cheap shots from the opposing side, the group effortlessly fought off the grunts. When they only had a few Golbats and Grimers left, Haley stopped and looked to the entrance Ash and the others had disappeared into. She grunted sadly. "They're screaming," she stated.

Paul and Gary stopped as well and stared at her. "Who are?" the Veilstone Trainer asked.

"I don't know," she answered. "All I know is that they're in pain, and I can hear them say, 'Stop, it hurts' over and over."

"Wait, what if that's Dialga and Palkia?" Gary realized.

"You're saying Ash and his friends failed?" Haley gasped.

"More like Cyrus might've had a back up plan," Paul guessed. "I know him; he wouldn't jump into a big plan like this without something to fall back on."

"Then what do we do?" the black haired Trainer questioned.

"There's not much we  _can_ do," Cynthia revealed, butting into the conversation. "We just have to trust that Ash and the others can handle it."

Haley and Gary looked concerned, but Paul wasn't too keen on waiting outside twiddling his thumbs. It wasn't that he didn't trust them; hell, they probably had a better understanding of what to do more than he did for once.

But as Ash had learned while the two rivals were stuck in the forest, Paul hated doing nothing when the stakes were high.

Without a second thought Paul bolted for the entrance, Haley and Gary yelling after him to stop. He ignored them. For whatever reason he just felt like he had to be down there; he couldn't explain why or what he would accomplish, but he just felt like he had to be. Paul raced down the stairs as he heard thunder crash behind him, and he could feel electricity crackle around his body.  _Dialga and Palkia must be doing something powerful,_ he thought.

And soon he found out what.

Cyrus was standing in front of a giant portal, showing infinite amounts of galaxies, all for him to toy with. The man was clearly going mad just staring into it, and Paul felt like he had to make him stop. "Cyrus!" he yelled. Everyone turned around in surprise, except for the man he was addressing, though it was clear he heard. "Stop this! Don't you understand what you're doing?!"

"Recreating the world to be a better place," Cyrus replied calmly. "A world that is in my own image."

"Why, so you can be by yourself in a place full of nothingness?!" he retorted. Mars and Saturn stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes, but he ignored their shock of the news that they'd be left behind.

The leader did as well. "There is no one here-"

"Who cares?" Paul finished with a hiss. " _No one here?!_ Are you that  _stupid_ and  _thick headed_  and so wrapped up in your own angsty world that you can't even be bothered to try and see that there are people who do?!" He growled. "I may hate my father, and I may hate you, but I still know you both well enough to know you're  _friends_! Are you telling me you're going to turn your back on your  _oldest friend_?! Are you telling me you want to turn your back on your  ** _grandfather?!_** "

Everything went silent except for the power of the portal. "It's too late, anyways," Cyrus finally said. "Thanks to this, the world will end in a few minutes."

"Afraid not, Cyrus," Ash spoke up. Paul turned his head to notice his rival had partially slipped into his other skin. "I refuse to let you win, understand?"

He chuckled. "And how do you plan on that?" the man challenged.

"Like this: Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Dialga's Red Chain!" His Pokémon nodded and fired the Electric move at the red ring around the legendary Pokémon.

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Dawn ordered.

"Croagunk, use Poison Sting!" Brock commanded.

As Paul heard Garchomp charge up a Draco Meteor, he quickly contemplated on joining in. He had this bad feeling that something would go wrong, but not even seconds had passed when he decided he should try. "You're a fool," he whispered as he reached for Torterra's Poké Ball. "Torterra, Stone Edge, let's go!" His starter appeared and helped break Palkia free. Meanwhile, after minimal pleading from Dawn, the three Lake Pokémon added in their own power.

And with all eight of them, the deities were set free.

They fell to the ground, groaning out in pain, and the portal began to close. Cyrus, in a madman daze, shuffled towards it and willingly jumped in, proclaiming it was his. Mars tried to follow him, but Saturn - realizing that the man he had been following had never been worth it - stopped her.

Because right after the portal disappeared, they had bigger things to worry about.

Dialga and Palkia, blinded by pain, unleashed massive amounts of power, creating a black hole that threatened to be just as destructive as the portal. Everyone tried to fight the wind current to the best of their abilities. "Hey Ash, got anymore bright ideas?" Paul sarcastically roared over the wind.

"Very funny!" he shouted back as he and his friends braced themselves by a pillar. In their hands they held their Pokémon and the three Lake Pokémon, and Torterra was the first to notice the pixies.

"Tor, Torterra!" he cried, getting his Trainer's attention. Paul looked to where the Continent Pokémon was moving his head towards, and is eyes widened in understanding.

"Hey, don't those three help keep balance?" Paul brought up. The three humans looked at him, and after a second they nodded. "And aren't you connected with them?" They nodded again. "Well then do something with it!"

Immediately they understood, and the Psychic types wiggled out of the grasps to face the deities. With a plan ( _Finally, we have a plan actually ready to go,_ Paul thought) the legendaries and the humans ran up, and Ash directed Azelf to disperse the black hole. The Pokémon of Willpower gathered its energy and flew right in, and after a few seconds the black hole vanished, Azelf falling gently into Ash's waiting arms. Brock and Uxie were next, and with their combined efforts they calmed the two Dragon types down. Finally, with the help of Dawn and Mesprit, they were healed, and they let out mighty roars as both a way to show they were better...

And as a way of thanks.

...

"No sweat, we'll get these back to Professor Carolina safe and sound," Gary promised, motioning towards the two orbs in the box that Professor Rowan and his assistant Yuzo had brought.

"And...please don't tell her...I was here," Paul panted. He swore Haley and Cynthia had squeezed the life out of him when he finally exited with everyone who had been in Spear Pillar.

Gary laughed. "Yeah, guess the last thing you need is another lecture for that stupid ass stunt you pulled," he said. Somewhere behind him Paul was convinced Ash snickered.

"Well, if it weren't for Paul, who knows if everything would've turned out okay," Brock complimented.

"Guess you  _can_ be nice," Dawn teased as she poked his cheek. Paul growled and shoved her to the ground. "Hey, what was that for?!"

"I told you, Troublesome, I'm never nice." The ten-year-old huffed.

The group watched as the police vans with all the members of Team Galactic inside drive off, and soon after everyone began to say their goodbyes. "It was awesome seeing you again, Red," Gary stated as he hugged her. "I just wish it didn't have to be on such a crappy day."

"Hey, it's not every day you get to beat up bad guys and save the world," she brushed off.

"You say that as if it were fun," Paul muttered.

"Maybe it was in a sadistic kind of way," Haley replied. Gary chuckled, and Paul rolled his eyes.

"So Paul, do the two of you need a ride?" Cynthia suddenly asked. "I can drive you guys if you want."

Paul looked to his friend, who smiled. "I don't see why not," he agreed.

Ash and his friends were offered a ride from Professor Rowan, which they took, but before he got on the helicopter Ash made sure no one was looking and then walked beside Paul. "Sorry about Cyrus," he told him.

He breathed out. "The fool got what was coming to him," he said.

"Wonder what's going to happen to your dad."

"Well...guess we'll see, right?"

There was silence, and then Ash let out a small chuckle. "Right." And he quickly followed his friends.

Cynthia started up her SUV, and Paul sat shotgun with Haley in the back. "Lake Valor, right?" she clarified. Her cousin nodded. "Figured. You two must be excited to get to Sunyshore. Okay, hang on!" With that she stepped on the gas, and the vehicle zoomed down the mountain.

Haley gripped the handle on the car door, but Paul just calmly crossed his arms. "Grandma took you out on ATVs too, huh?" he noted.

"Almost every day," she reported with a laugh.

"Uh, Cynthia, are you sure this is safe?" Haley cautioned.

The Champion looked at her through the rearview mirror and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I've been doing this since I was twelve," she reported. Then she eyed Paul. "And what's the one thing we always say?"

In a sudden burst of childish nature, Paul gave off a smirking grin and exclaimed, "Floor it!"

His cousin laughed again. "Now that's the Shirona family way!" The pedal went down to the floor, and the young adult let out whoops and hollers like she was on a rollercoaster. Paul's grin never left, and after about five heart-pounding, terrifying minutes Haley found herself enjoying the thrill ride all the way to the lake.

_Because there is sadness... We cherish happiness..._

_And because there is anger... Kindness is born..._

_When every life...meets another life...something will be born._


	38. An Electrifying Reunion

**A/N: So, random question. If anyone is currently watching the anime now, what do you think would be Alain's team besides his Charizard? I'm just really curious on what you guys think.**

**Also, what would you name Ash's father? I once saw someone choose Victor as his name, but I'm not sure if I like it all that much for him.**

* * *

Raichu jumped onto the top of a boulder and then turned around. "Come on, guys, stop lagging behind!" he encouraged. "Or else I'll say 'I told you so'!"

"For the last time, we're not lazy!" Jolteon snapped as he bounded to the top as well. "Besides, Electivire and I are showing the new guy around; what's wrong with taking our time to do that?"

The Mouse Pokémon opened his mouth and quickly closed it. "Fair enough," he conceded. "Still, we should move just a tad faster. It's been a while since we had proper exercise."

"You think he'll notice?" Electivire asked, finally moving past the bushes.

Both of the Electric types drooped their ears. "No, he's probably still tinkering with his new invention," Jolteon guessed. "You know him. He almost missed the new guy."

"A-are you really sure I-I won't be t-tossed out?" said new guy whispered, his eyes the only visible part as he hid behind a bush with his tail literally between his legs.

"Of course!" Raichu insisted. "Our Trainer may always be preoccupied, but he isn't neglectful. I mean, we still get fed and he still hangs out with us. We just...don't battle anymore."

Slowly yet timidly, his new teammate nodded and finally stepped out of the bushes as well. "I think I'm okay with not battling for a while, anyway," Luxray admitted.

"That must have been a pretty nasty beat down from the way you looked," Electivire pointed out.

Luxray sighed. "I don't understand why Sho even did it in the first place," he admitted. "I thought he figured me to be a good Pokémon."

They had barely touched upon the topic of Luxray's old Trainer ever since the Gleam Eyes Pokémon wandered to their home about a month before. But now it seemed Luxray didn't mind as much. Clearly he was still affected, but not to where he kept his mouth shut anymore. "Well then screw him," Jolteon spat. "A human who treats Electric types - or, any Pokémon for that matter - like that doesn't deserve to have a guy like you."

There was a hint of a smile. "Thanks, Jolteon," Luxray said. "That really means a lot."

"Didn't you say something about how he changed?" Electivire questioned as the four Pokémon began walking again.

"I thought he did," Luxray replied. "He and his Raichu battled this one Trainer and got their butts handed to them the second time around, and he seemed to be much nicer." He sighed again. "Guess old habits really do die hard."

"Humans are stupid," Jolteon concluded, jumping over a small creek. "You just have to look in the basement to find a good example." Even if it was cruel, sad, and even the tiniest bit pathetic on his Trainer's part, Luxray couldn't help but snicker.

Suddenly they heard the sound of moves colliding, and they looked towards the west where the noise came from. Curious, Raichu began to walk towards it. "Wait, Raichu, maybe it's not the best idea to go that way," Luxray cautioned.

He stopped and looked to the new member. "Don't worry, Luxray, we'll stick together," Raichu promised. "And we're not looking for a fight; I just want to see who's causing the noise."

"I say we look," Electivire agreed.

"Who knows, this could be interesting to watch," Jolteon piped up.

Again, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon sighed. "Fine, but if a fight breaks out, I'm not joining in," he decided.

"That's fine by us," Raichu told him. With that, the Mouse Pokémon bounded off, quickly followed by the rest of the team. When they got closer to the sounds of battle they slowed down, not wanting to alert whoever was fighting. They crawled to the edge of the forest and peered over the bushes, watching as two Trainers were engaged in a battle.

"Alright, Torterra, use Seed Bomb!" the black haired girl commanded. Her Pokémon opened its mouth and fired at the Electabuzz.

"Protect!" the opposing Trainer shouted, and the Electric type created a green barrier around itself, successfully blocking the barrage of seeds. "Now use Brick Break!" The barrier went down, and Electabuzz charged.

"Giga Drain!" Torterra's mountains glowed green, and it fired vines right for the Lightning Pokémon.

"Dodge!" The vines missed as Electabuzz jumped out of the way, but the girl wasn't fazed a bit.

"Earthquake!" she ordered. The Continent Pokémon slammed down its front legs, and the whole earth shook, causing Electabuzz to be flung into the air. "Giga Drain again!" This time when the vines appeared, they wrapped around the opponent, and the girl grinned. "I win," she sang.

"Damn it, Haley, we're training, not playing around," the other Trainer sighed as Electabuzz was lowered to the ground.

Haley chuckled. "Well, yeah, but I can have fun with it," she countered. "You're just pissed 'cause I kicked your ass twice."

"Did not," the boy huffed.

"Did too."

"Did _not_!"

"Did too." The purple haired boy growled. "Besides, Electabuzz looks tired. He already trained with Umbreon, so it's understandable."

The boy looked like he was about to counter to her suggestion, but then decided against it. "But what about Infernape?" he pointed out. "He needs training, too, and I don't have Nidoking with me. He's the only other Pokémon I have that knows Electric type moves."

"You can command Luxray," Haley offered. The observing team perked their ears. "She knows you well enough, Paul; it's not like she'll disobey you."

Paul nodded. "Alright." Then he turned a bit, possibly looking over at a campsite the Trainers had set up. "Luxray, you're on my side for the next battle! We're training Infernape!"

"Yeah, it's your turn to get beat up!" Electabuzz yelled.

"Very funny, Stripes," she replied with a huff. The hairs on Luxray's fur stood on end. That voice, while slightly deeper than he remembered, still sounded extremely familiar.

The other members of his team noticed him suddenly going stiff. "Hey Luxray, you look like you've seen a ghost," Electivire observed. "Do you know that one?"

"I-if I'm right," he gulped, "and I have a good feeling I am, then I do, and it won't be pretty if she spots me."

"Why?" Jolteon inquired.

"Well let's just say our last encounter...didn't go so well," he stated.

Raichu and the others stared at him, wondering what he meant. Of course, they all assumed that perhaps the female Luxray had been a bully of some kind; seeing how timid their Luxray was, it wouldn't have been much of a stretch. "We won't walk out, then," Raichu decided. "That way you don't have to talk to her."

"T-thanks."

Meanwhile, the two Trainers had their Pokémon all ready to go. "Ugh, Haley, why do _I_ have to train with Infernape?" Luxray complained.

"Aw come on, Lux, this'll be fun!" the Fire-Fighting type insisted.

"And I need to fight Electric types," her Trainer added. "Volkner _is_ an Electric type Gym Leader, after all."

The observers were surprised. "Wait, she's training for Volkner?" Jolteon repeated.

"Oh boy, this won't be fun," Electivire mumbled as the female Luxray began the battle with Thunder Fang.

"Should we tell them?" Raichu suggested while Infernape jumped over his teammate and used Mach Punch on her side. "It looks like that girl can understand Pokémon."

Luxray furiously shook his head. "Raichu, you promised we wouldn't walk up to them!" he squeaked.

His teammate looked at him, and after a minute of contemplation he nodded. "Alright," he promised. Luxray nodded a thank you, and then the four went back to watching the training that would ultimately prove to be worthless. They were definitely impressed, though, so much so that they didn't notice Toxicroak wandering through the forest, looking for some Mago Berries. Noticing the group, she walked over to Luxray.

"Um, excuse me," she said politely. Unfortunately, Luxray was a bit jumpy, so he screamed as he leapt into the air and tumbled out of the bushes. The training stopped and they looked at the fallen Pokémon. Toxicroak gasped and hopped over to the Gleam Eyes Pokémon. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

He lifted his head and looked at the Poison-Fighting type. "U-um, n-no p-problem," he stammered.

"Hey, don't worry, we're not going to hurt you," the girl Trainer assured as she and the boy walked over. She knelt down and smiled. "My name is Haley. This is Paul." The boy nodded.

Infernape grinned. "Weavile, you've got some competition!" he teased. In the blink of an eye, a furious Weavile was chasing the playful ape around, and the Trainers sighed.

Meanwhile, Luxray was completely embarrassed and frightened. It wasn't just being called out; in fact, the real reason was _much_ worse. "Ignore him," the female Luxray advised as she joined them, which scared Luxray even more. "He's an idiot." Luxray couldn't even bring himself to nod, let alone speak, and this of course didn't go unnoticed. "Hey, are you all right?"

Luxray tried to say something, but his mouth wouldn't even open. He shrunk under the female Pokémon, and Haley turned to her. "Lux, do you perhaps know this Luxray?" she questioned.

"The only other Luxray I know is my mom," the Electric type replied. "I did know a Luxio, and..." She stop to think, and Luxray began to slowly crawl backwards, away from the impending doom.

Too bad he didn't get to far.

"You," Lux realized with wide eyes. Then they narrowed in rage, and she snarled. " _You!_ " Catching on that something bad was about to happen, Paul jumped and held onto her as tight as he could. That made the female struggle, snarling as she did. "Where's your worthless, piece of shit Trainer?! _Where is he?!"_

"Lux, stop!" Haley yelled as the feline began to struggle harder. The female Trainer held on, too, but even then the humans were being dragged along as Lux tried to claw at him, with every intention of ripping him limb from limb. "U-Umbreon, I need you now!"

"Ursaring, get over here!" Paul barked.

The two sprinted over, with six more Pokémon watching from behind. Umbreon went first, its eyes glowing blue as it used Psychic to lift Lux off the ground. The furious Pokémon continued to struggle, making it extremely hard for the Dark type to keep its grip. Luckily, Ursaring backed it up and fired a Focus Blast, hitting Lux directly and sending her flying. She crashed onto the ground but quickly sprang back up with the purpose of going for the terrified Electric type. Then Infernape slammed into her with Flame Wheel, and she was on the ground again. This time she wasn't so quick on her feet.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Infernape snapped.

But Lux didn't answer him. "He's _mine!_ " she growled, and she charged at the cowering Pokémon. Again she was denied as Electivire, finally having enough, sprang out of the forest and used Giga Impact. The attack sent her flying even farther than before and, as soon as she hit the ground, instantly knocked her out. A Staraptor flew over to Haley and dropped a Poké Ball in her hand, and the Trainer recalled her fallen teammate.

Everyone looked at her, and soon the tension in the air died. "I'm sorry I had to do that," Electivire finally piped up.

Haley stared at him. "What are you sorry for?" she responded. "Lux was the one trying to hurt your friend."

"She was completely out of control, Haley," Paul added. "That wasn't just her trying to hurt it."

"They know what I mean," she brushed off. Then she knelt down next to Luxray again. "Luxray, I am _so_ sorry for all of this."

All of Lux's teammates nodded in agreement, but Luxray shook his head. "It's my fault, anyway," he stated guiltily.

"That's not true!" Jolteon shouted, jumping out as well. Raichu walked out after him. "She was being a bully; she _wanted_ you to think that!"

"Look, pal, Lux is _not_ a bully," Weavile defended with a growl.

"Yeah!" Infernape agreed. "She can be a bit brash at times, sure, but she's no bully."

"So you expect _him_ to be?" the Lightning Pokémon retorted.

Infernape and Weavile opened their mouths to counter, but Luxray beat them to the punch. "No, I'm sure you don't," he stated. "But I was."

The whole group looked at him in disbelief, except for Paul, who was confused because he couldn't understand what everyone was saying. "Luxray, I find that extremely hard to believe," Electivire voiced.

"Yeah, so do I," the Gleam Eyes Pokémon admitted. "But it's true; at one very brief but crucial point I was. It's not really surprising why my little sister lashed out like she did."

"Sister?" everyone repeated in surprise. Then Staraptor began fluttering its wings rapidly.

"Haley, didn't Lux say something about her brother when we were on our way to Solaceon Town?" she remembered.

Her Trainer and the rest of her teammates thought about it. "That's right!" Haley finally exclaimed. "She said something about how-" She stopped. "Oh." Then she turned her head and looked at Paul. "Oh..."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Um, don't worry about it," she assured.

"No, what is-" Now he stopped, and he closed his eyes with a long, exasperated sigh. "God damn it. No wonder she wanted to maul me back in Pastoria." Luxray stared at the purple haired Trainer, and then he stood up and walked over to him. Paul eyed the Electric type. "Guess we both have some issues with being good brothers," he confessed. Luxray flattened his ears with guilt but nodded.

Everyone sat down, wanting to listen to Luxray's explanation. "We lived in the forest along Route 202 with our parents," he began. "And I was a huge coward, even more so than now. But Lux was always there to help me. I didn't mind it, but I also wanted to be stronger. Because... I mean, I'm the older brother, so I figured I _should_ have been stronger. So when Sho showed up I...well I...I-I turned my back on her. It was..." He sighed. "Horrible doesn't describe it."

As the Pokémon stared at him in silence, Haley silently told Paul what the Electric type said. He looked at Luxray - who rested his head on his paws and never took his yellow eyes off the male Trainer - and then back at Haley. "Can I take Luxray's Poké Ball?" he requested.

The large group looked at him in confusion. "Why?" Haley asked.

"If there's anyone who knows anything about something like this, it's me," he explained. The girl still looked unsure. "Trust me. If she isn't talked to, she'll go on a rampage again." Finally, she nodded, and she handed the Poké Ball to the purple haired Trainer. Without a word, Paul stood up and walked away.

There was silence as they all watched him go, and once he disappeared Haley sighed. "He wouldn't have to talk to her in the first place if I disciplined her more," she chastised.

"Haley, we couldn't have known how severe it was," Umbreon reasoned. She rubbed her head against her Trainer's leg. "She never told about it. And you're a good Trainer, so don't beat yourself up."

"Still..."

"No, Haley, it's my fault," Luxray repeated. "If I hadn't been such a bonehead, we wouldn't have this problem at all."

They all stared at him again, and finally Raichu put a paw on the joint between Luxray's leg and body. "Well, it happened," he stated. "So let's just move forward, alright?"

Luxray looked at him, and then he looked in the direction the other Trainer had disappeared. He deepened his frown. "Let's just hope that's a possibility."

...

Paul made sure he was far enough away where - if Luxray sprinted off to kill her brother - the group would have plenty of time to know she was coming. Perhaps it was stupid of him to not bring any Pokémon, but the reason he hadn't was because he figured it would make him seem hostile. He let Luxray out, and she looked a little tired. When she realized she was back outside, she growled and went to run off, but Paul glared at her. The female Pokémon glared back, and for a while the two pierced each other's eyes before Luxray growled louder.

" _Luxray!_ " She jumped at the authority in Paul's voice. "Unless you want everyone to gang up on you again, I suggest you listen." Luxray nodded, but she looked offended, as if she believed Paul was making her out to be in the complete wrong. He sighed and knelt down to her eye level. "Listen, Luxray, I know why you lashed out like that, but your brother has a reason for what he did, too. It didn't make it right, but you should know where he's coming from." She nodded again but still seemed offended, so Paul tried a different approach.

"You know who reminds you of him, right?" The Electric type blinked in surprise, and then with a sad look she pointed her tail at the Trainer. "Exactly. And after Haley told me what he said, I could see why. We were cowards, and we relied on our siblings for help. I loved Reggie when I was a kid; hell, if I had been crazy enough, I might have made a shrine." Then he offered up a smile. " _Might_ , being the key word." Luxray couldn't force down the quick chuckle. "But even then, I always felt bad. Reggie could have been doing so much more, and instead he always had to come back and check in on me. To realize that you're such a coward and you can't really do anything on your own... It's not a good feeling, Luxray. Not at all.

"But I say your brother had it worse," he continued. "At least I'm the younger brother, and I'm also eight years younger. Of course I would have to rely on someone. Your brother is the older one, though, and you two only seem a year apart. I'm not saying he went about it right, but at least realize he didn't do it for the sole purpose of hurting you and your parents." The Gleam Eyes Pokémon nodded a third time, yet Paul still (understandably) saw a glimmer of hurt in her yellow eyes. He knew his next comment probably wouldn't change anything, but he wanted to say it anyway. "Besides, at least it only took him less than a year to realize he made a huge mistake."

Luxray hung her head and stared at the ground as if she was supposed to feel guilty, and Paul frowned. She had everything reason to be angry, but she just went about it the wrong way. Then he had an idea, and he smiled. Slowly, as to not alert her, he moved his hand behind her ear and began to scratch there. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon flinched in surprise but then quickly relaxed into his touch. She let him pet her for a while until she realized that it was straying them from the topic at hand. She narrowed her eyes at him, and Paul just smirked.

Of course he knew. Jackass.

"Feeling calmer?" he asked. Luxray nodded, and then she moved a bit closer so she could rub her cheeks against his. Paul tried to hold a chuckle as her fur tickled him. "Careful, we might get made fun of again."

"Or they can learn how to mind their own business," Luxray barely muttered. Of course, Paul didn't know what she said, but her tone alone made him laugh lightly.

It was well known that Paul was a Trainer. It was also well known that he didn't interact with his Pokémon in a...friendly manner. Sure he had gotten better over the past year, but they weren't going to be treated like pets anytime soon. Luxray was the only exception, and that was something that caught everyone off guard. She wasn't even his Pokémon, but he would treat her like his pet, and she actually didn't mind. One time Haley asked - with a completely straight face - if he wanted to trade Luxray and Electabuzz, to which Paul and Luxray weren't amused.

That was far from the only joke, though. Everyone made an observation about it at some point, with Infernape (of course) being the main provider, and he was known for making the situation extremely embarrassing. Though the most embarrassing time was hands down the first time.

And funny enough, it was the person neither of them expected.

XXX

Haley decided that the day would be dedicated to training for the Gym Battle against Roark. Paul didn't mind since he actually wanted to relax. For once, he really didn't want to train. And as he watched his traveling partner train her Pokémon, he decided it would be okay if his trained alongside hers. So now with a complete excuse to lie on his back, he did.

Meanwhile Shinx, since she didn't need to be trained for the battle, made her way over to lie down as well. As she walked she glanced at Paul, who had his eyes closed as his head rested on his arms. _I don't understand why she thought it would be a good idea to travel with someone we just met,_ the little Electric type criticized as she found a nice sunny spot and began making it comfortable to curl up on. _Whatever. Humans are stupid. If he does something to hurt us, it's on her._ When it looked like he was going to open his eyes, Shinx realized she was staring, and she hadn't meant to. Immediately she plopped down with her back to him and squeezed her eyes as tight as she could.

The teen looked rolled his neck to stretch it, and as he did he noticed the Flash Pokémon curled up. He huffed. _Seriously, she just lets her Pokémon wander off in the middle of training?_ he questioned. _Even if it's not participating, it could still use some training. Then again, this Shinx is different from the rest of Haley's team. It seems less...open. So is it just hard to control and she decided not to bother?_ Then her head twitched, and Paul instantly looked away. He hadn't even really noticed he had been studying the Pokémon. Boy, wouldn't that have been embarrassing if he got caught.

Unbeknownst to him, Shinx had an inkling he had been looking at her. _I could have sworn I felt his eyes on me,_ she thought. _Then again, I could just be paranoid. I have been quite a bit lately. Maybe it's just my imagination._ Suddenly the wind picked up just a bit, and she noticed he shivered just a tad. _Even with a jacket? Man, humans really are weak. They're just- Oh man!_ Once again she whipped her head back around, thinking his head was moving towards her again.

Actually, he was, and he noticed her shuddering. _Is it cold? Or...was it actually looking at me and now it's afraid? But...why would it care? It barely cares about its Trainer, or it seems that way._ He shivered again. _Damn, it was never this cold before. Stupid Hoenn and its hot climate. Even with my jacket I can't take the cold anymore. And yet somehow Haley's prancing around in a t-shirt and a skirt. How the hell does she-_

At that point Shinx had turned her head again, wanting another look, and this time Paul didn't catch it. So the two ended up finally meeting eyes, and for what felt like forever they just stared at each other with wide eyes, each of them realizing they had been caught. Their brains had shut down and their voices had failed them, and while they tried to look away they just couldn't. Finally Paul shivered a third time, breaking the trance as Shinx snickered. "And what do you find so funny, Fur Ball?" Paul grumbled.

_Fur Ball?_ Shinx repeated, taking offense. Angry and without really thinking about what she was doing, she ran over to him, pounced on his chest, and glared right into his eyes. Of course, while Paul was surprised, he wasn't fazed. First, he loved getting other riled up. Second, Shinxs were just (admittedly) cute, and since she was angry, she looked adorably pissed rather than threatening. So he just smirked.

"What? I'm not wrong," he stated. "You have fur, and you were curled up as tight as a ball. Doesn't that make sense?" Shinx blushed but snarled; yet Paul still wasn't intimidated. "Aw, look at you, trying to act tough," he teased as he poked her nose. Before the Trainer could take it away, Shinx snatched it with her teeth, biting down hard enough to hold but not break skin. But even _then_ he refused to stop smirking. The little Pokémon growled again, and when she did her tongue accidentally ran over his finger.

Out of _all_ things, that got him to react.

He yelped quietly and immediately clasped his other hand over his mouth. Shinx stared at him with a confused look, and then she realized he was ticklish. Now _she_ smirked...sort of. Her mouth was still on his finger, which she quickly flicked her tongue over. His eyes went wide as he tried not to laugh, especially when she began to repeat the motion over and over. Knowing he had to make her stop before he made a fool out of himself, he clenched his teeth together as he tried to find her own ticklish spot. Luckily for him, he started behind her left ear, and she instantly stopped. Now he started scratching there, thinking she would start laughing, but instead she seemed calmer. In fact, she curled up on his chest and closed her eyes as he continued to scratch, and Paul found himself not minding.

Actually...he kind of liked it.

Her fur was soft and she was warm. Smiling just a tad, he put his free hand back behind his head and closed his eyes as he continued his motions.

They were so relaxed and content, though, neither of them knew of the impending danger.

XXX

_CLICK._

Both Luxray and Paul looked towards the sound of the digital camera, seeing Haley once again behind it. The female Trainer looked away from the screen to meet their eyes, and then she smiled. "Sorry," she apologized again. "You know I can't resist."

Paul huffed quietly and put on a small smile. If he had actually caught her that first day, there wouldn't be any pictures of him and Luxray relaxing together. Funny enough, Haley loved the first picture more than any other one, even if the Flash Pokémon had almost mauled her over it. The more time that passed, though, the more Paul came to like it, too. Not only was it actually kind of cute (even if that was one of the most embarrassing things to admit), but it was also the first time Paul looked relaxed in years. "So, did you come over here just to pester us like always?" he questioned.

Haley shook her head, and then she took a big breath in order to calm herself. "Lux," she began, "I...I think it would best...if you try and talk to your brother. I know it's...hard, but I think it'll do you both good."

Again, both of them stared at her, this time with surprised expressions. Finally, Lux sighed. "Sure," she agreed. "And I promise I won't tear his throat out. Does that make you feel better?"

"Yeah," Haley breathed out, nodding. Then she turned her head. "Luxray, everything's okay!"

A couple of seconds later, her brother ran over but stopped just behind Haley, his tail between his legs. He visibly gulped and stared at his sister with apprehensive eyes. Lux sighed again and turned towards the ocean. She flicked her tail, telling him to follow, and she began walking. Tentatively, Luxray followed her.

The Trainers watched as he finally caught up with her, and then Haley walked over to Paul, and he noticed she looked extremely nervous. He wasn't surprised. "Don't worry," he assured her. "Nothing's going to happen."

"Really?"

He sighed. "Well...guess we'll see."

...

Luxray was surprised Lux hadn't said a single word. They just kept walking. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was telling himself to run the other way because she was probably taking him to a place where his screams couldn't be heard. But then, on a hill that overlooked a beach, his sister stopped and sat down. He stopped a few feet behind her, tilting his head in confusion as she looked out at the ocean. "So, all of this drama so you could be stronger," she stated.

Immediately his head and ears went down. "W-well, yeah," he mumbled quickly. "I mean, what younger sibling wants to be taking care of their older sibling? I thought you would stop wanting to be around me because I was such a waste of-"

Her harsh sigh cut him off. "Idiot, what about me screamed at you that I would start hating you?" she brought up. "If anything, I was just confused as to why the roles were reversed, but I didn't care. It was when you left that I started hating you." She growled a little, and her tail lashed once. "I mean, I don't think I would have cared if you went with a Trainer. Hell, for all I care, you could be Haley's Luxray, and I don't think I would be giving a damn other than just missing you. But out of all the Trainers, you chose the asshole. Yeah, nice job on _that_." He flinched and expected her to jump at him, but then she continued, still staring at the ocean. "And yet despite that and despite earlier today... I don't think I would change a thing."

Okay, wait... Did he just hear that right? "What?"

"You turned the entire forest, our parents, and even me into a bunch of paranoid fucks, and yet I don't think I could bring myself to picture events turning out any other way." Lux finally turned her head to meet his eyes. "As much as it angered me - and still does - we did...learn something, I guess. And I'm quite selfish; I couldn't even begin to imagine another Pokémon in my place, with _my_ team members, not even you."

One of his claws absentmindedly began drawing lines in the grass. "I...I-I guess I really couldn't imagine another Pokémon in my place either," he admitted. "And really, I've only been with them for a month."

"You look stronger," Lux observed as she finally moved, circling around her brother. Luxray kept a curious eye on her. "Sho... Sho did good, I guess."

"U-um, thanks," Luxray responded. "B-but really, my current Trainer polished me up."

She nodded. "Look, I'm..." She breathed in. "S-s...sorry...for my outburst back there."

But he shook his head. "It was...extreme," putting it _lightly_ , "but understandable. I mean, I _did_ yell at you, mock you, stab you in back, beat you up, and head butt you into a tree... _twice_."

"All in the course of around five minutes," his sister added.

"Five minutes," he repeated. He huffed, and for a while the two stared at each other in silence. "So, um, a-are we cool?"

Lux scoffed, but she was also smirking. "We're...better than before," she decided.

That was better than nowhere, and Luxray was completely okay with that. He smiled. "Okay."

His sister nodded, and then she bit her lip as she eyed the ground. After a few seconds she looked at him again. "I... I missed you," she admitted.

Those were words he thought he would never hear, and he almost cried from how happy he was. "I missed you too," he responded. Lux stared at the ground again, but he could see her small smile. Deciding to end her embarrassment, he changed the subject. "Then, are we going to head back?"

There was a small sigh. "Yeah. I'm sure Haley's creating a trench from worrying so much."

He chuckled. "She's a nice person," he concluded.

"And she's my Trainer," Lux stated with a smile. They began to head back at a brisk pace, not wanting to keep the others waiting.

Good thing, too, because there was a commotion currently underway.

"For the last time, _no_ , you can't have my Electabuzz!" Paul shouted. The siblings looked at each other with confusion. "I don't _care_ if you have a Flaffy, I don't _care_ if you have a Magnemite and a Magneton, I wouldn't care if you had a damn _Zapdos_! The answer is _NO_!"

"Aw, come on, man, it's a good deal," another Trainer calmly replied.

Every expletive the two Luxrays could think of popped into their minds.

"Buddy, I suggest you _never_ get a job where you have a boss," Haley snapped. "Clearly, you don't hear well, and hearing is - unfortunately for you - required. Who the hell do you think you are, anyway?"

The other Trainer grinned. "Name's Sho, lovely miss," he introduced.

It was like a ticking time bomb was nearing its final seconds, and then it exploded. " _YOU!_ " the entire gang exclaimed.

" _You're_ the reason I almost had a murder on my hands!" Haley hissed.

Sho looked confused. "And what do ya mean by that?" he questioned.

"If I say Luxray, what's the first thing that comes to mind?" the girl egged on.

He thought about it, and then he snapped his fingers. "Ah, right, I had one not too long ago," Sho said.

"Yeah, and that Luxray happens to be the brother of mine, which meant she almost tore him apart!" Haley spat.

"And how's that my fault?" the dark green haired boy brought up, starting to get annoyed. "If you can't train your Pokémon, don't put the blame on me."

"You turned a whole forest on its head and split up a family in the worst way possible because you can't control _your_ Pokémon!" Paul cried. "Look at your Raichu and Pichu right now; they _know_ what's going on, judging by those evil smirks!"

"Pal, you and I are done negotiatin," Sho retorted. "Me and the littl lady here seem to in an argument."

"No, I agree with Paul," Haley replied. "Your Pokémon did something to Lux, and you better tell me what it is, cause I'm not in a good mood for games."

"Look, I don't know what sort of beef you have with either of them," the Electric type Trainer stated.

" _Bullshit_!"

"I'm tellin the truth here!"

"Fine, be that way, asshole! See if I care anymore!" Haley huffed as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Now how about you just leave; trust me when I say you aren't welcome here."

But Sho had other plans. "Not just yet," he began. "First, no one insults ma man Raichu without payin for it. Second, I'm suddenly interested in this Luxray of yours."

"No Pokémon of mine is up for trade, especially with you!" Haley countered. "I already have an Ampharos back at home, and neither Magnemite nor Magneton or a combination of either will compare to Lux, understand?"

"Oo, now I'm _really_ interested."

"Seriously, invest in a self made business, because _no one_ is going to hire you."

"Come on, you're not actually thinkin of backin out of this, are you?" Sho taunted. "Cause not only do you sound like that guy with the Pikachu, but it also means you got no spine."

"Then Ash is a smarter man than you!" Haley spat. "For the last time, _no_ ** _deal_**."

"Haley!" Everyone looked over at Lux, who ran over and got into a battle position in front of her Trainer, facing the other one. "He obviously doesn't listen, so let's just shut him up the only way that seems to work on him." She growled. "Besides, I've got bones to pick with that Raichu."

Haley looked at her Pokémon, and then at Sho. "Fine," she agreed. "Your Raichu versus Lux, Sho."

"And if I win, I get me another Luxray," the teen chuckled.

"You'll only win in your dreams," Haley promised.

The two teams got into place for battle, with Sho and Raichu looking very arrogant, and Haley and Luxray looking very determined. "You can do it!" Weavile encouraged.

"Lux, don't let them get to you!" Infernape advised

"Sis, beat them, I know you can!"

Lux smiled at the last one as the other Pokémon voiced their own bouts of encouragement. "Let's do this, Haley." Her Trainer gave a curt nod.

"Ladies first," Sho offered with a small hint of a condescending tone.

She ignored it. "Gladly. Lux, use Iron Tail!" Her tail glowed silver and she charged at the Mouse Pokémon.

"Counter with you own Iron Tail!" Sho commanded. Raichu's tail glowed as well, and it jumped into the air.

"Dodge it!" Lux sidestepped out of the range of its tail and then connected her own tail with its stomach. Raichu flew backwards. "Now use Thunderbolt!" Lux shot out a bolt of electricity, which hit dead on. "Use Iron Tail again!" The Gleam Eyes Pokémon raced towards her opponent again.

"Get up and use Volt Tackle!" Quickly Raichu responded, and it sprinted towards Lux while electricity coursed around it. Lux was taken by surprise, and the attack hit her full force. She slammed into the ground, and the effects of the attacks from her teammates earlier in the day weren't helping any. The Electric type struggled to her feet, and Raichu snickered.

"Seems you haven't changed much," he taunted as Lux finally stood upright. Her yellow eyes glared and her lip curled up to reveal her menacing fangs. "Aw, but you seem to have a backbone now. You're not a complete wimp like you were last time. Of course, that's not really saying much."

Rage spread throughout her entire body. She snarled and her claws extended instantly. But before she pounced so she could rip him to shreds, Paul shouted, " _Luxray!_ " Once again drawn to the authority in his voice, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon calmed down just barely to look at him. "It's obviously trying to rile you up. Don't let it." Lux stared intently at him, and after a few seconds she took a deep breath. Paul nodded, and then he looked at Sho. "Seriously, control you Pokémon. This is a battle, not a dissing contest. You just look pathetic otherwise."

"Really? _I'm_ pathetic?" Sho smirked. "Missy over here has to have some punk tell her Pokémon what to do. Unless this is actually _your_ Luxray."

"Hey, _Dick_ , Paul and I are friends," Haley spat. "If any of his Pokémon were doing this I'd be telling them the same thing. What, do you lack friendship skills along with your hearing?"

Sho frowned. "If you'd stop with the hearin thing, we'd appreciate it."

"Only if we get some respect first," Haley shot back. "And I know just the way how. If you thought Lux only had Electric and Steel type moves, think again. Lux, show them why you don't mess with us with Ice Fang!"

The opponents, Luxray, and the rest of his team let out surprised gasps as Lux's fangs turned blue. From them, two light blue beams of energy raced towards Raichu, and they hit, causing some ice to form on his back. "No, Raichu!"

"Iron Tail once more!" For the third time, Lux made her tail silver, and she ran up to the Mouse Pokémon. She hit him directly twice, and he laid on the ground face down. He hadn't fainted, but he was very weak. Lux stopped in front of the downed Pokémon, and she glared down at him.

"Looks like the roles have been reversed," she observed. "Doesn't feel good, does it?" Raichu growled as best as he could. "I'm not going finish this; you're not worth it. Just make sure you and your Trainer stay away from me." With that, she turned around and walked back to her Trainer.

Raichu wasn't happy that she refused to end the battle properly. _I'll show her._ Getting to his paws, he charged a Volt Tackle and raced after her. Lux stopped and turned her head, her eyes wide.

But the attack never connected.

Luxray rushed out, his claws purple, and slashed at Raichu. The Mouse Pokémon was flung back, and he struggled to stand up. When he finally did, he was met with an angry older brother. "Stay away from my sister," he growled. "She beat you fair and square, and you decided to cheat."

"She's the one who won't finish this properly!" Raichu accused.

"Because there was no point," Luxray replied. "Now there is, for me anyway." He charged up. "And I will show you what happens when you mess with someone I care about." As soon as he finished, he released a powerful Thunderbolt, which Raichu wasn't prepared for. The Mouse Pokémon tried to resist it, but he couldn't take the attack and fell back to the ground, this time fainted.

Sho couldn't believe what had just happened. He opened his mouth to say something but ended up closing it. In the end he just returned his fallen Pokémon. Then he looked at Luxray. "Well look at you," he began. "You've gotten a bit tougher since I last saw ya." However, Luxray wasn't too pleased with the compliment. He glared at his former Trainer, and his new teammates joined his side, glaring as well. Sho didn't seem to get it. "What's wrong, man?"

"What's wrong is that you abandoned him," Haley answered. "He found a new team as a result, one that clearly cares deeply for him." The three Electric types nodded. "So I would suggest you beat it, _now_. Unless you want us to take care of your other Pokémon."

Seeing as how sixteen Pokémon and two Trainers were glaring at him, Sho _finally_ got the message and left, grumbling under his breath. When he was out of sight, Luxray flopped on the ground with a huge sigh of relief. "I thought my heart was going to give out," he confessed.

"You were nervous?" Haley realized. Luxray nodded.

"Could have fooled me," Paul commented. The others swiftly agreed to that.

"Well, thanks, Luxray," the female Trainer stated with a smile. "That definitely helped us out, and it really means a lot, too." He blushed, and then his sister walked up to him. She looked at her paws, then at Haley, and finally at Luxray.

"Thank you," she finally whispered sheepishly. Luxray was still blushing, but he beamed, and from someone in the back Infernape and Empoleon laughed quietly. Lux heard it, and she desperately tried to think of a way to change the subject. "So...uh... Haley! A-are we going to Sunyshore now or what?"

Haley did her best to conceal a giggle at her Pokémon's unusual flustered nature. "Of course," she responded. "We'll get you healed up, and then it's off to Volkner."

"We can take you," Luxray suddenly offered as he got to his feet.

"Oh, your Trainer is from Sunyshore?" the black haired human reasoned.

"I should hope so," Jolteon muttered.

Electivire sighed. "Jolteon, don't be rude," he scolded.

"What he means to say is yes," Raichu said. "See, _we're_ Volkner's team."

"You're Volkner's Pokémon?!" Haley's team cried.

Paul's eyes went to each of the four Pokémon, and after he did it twice he sighed. "We really should have figured," he mumbled.

"So you'll take us to the Gym?" Haley asked in excitement.

"We can," Raichu told her. "But..."

"What?"

The Gym Pokémon looked at each other. "It'll be easier to explain if you see it," Electivire finally voiced. Everyone was confused but decided to not question it. Paul and Haley returned their Pokémon and quickly followed the four Pokémon to the beach city.

It was a pretty big city, with Jubilife and Veilstone being just barely bigger than it. But not even Haley, who always insisted on exploring the city, could bring herself to care. The two Trainers ran behind the four Electric types (and Haley almost went the wrong way in the process, since she didn't notice the moving sidewalks) to a grassy patch on the northwest side of the city and found themselves in front of a dome-like building with solar panels circling the top. "Here we are," Luxray announced.

"Sweet!" Haley squealed. "I get to face the Gym Leader not even my brother could beat! This is going to be exciting!"

Again, the Gym Pokémon didn't look as enthusiastic. "We'd love to battle you, Haley," Luxray agreed. "But...well..."

"Welcome," came a female robotic voice from an intercom, making the two Trainers jump. "May I help you?"

"I'm here for my eighth badge!" Haley declared. "So I'd like to challenge Volkner to a Gym Battle!"

"Then please, help yourself," the robotic voice informed, and the box to the right opened up to reveal a huge collection of Sunyshore City Gym Badges.

Paul and Haley stared at the box, completely baffled. "What?" the girl questioned.

"At the Sunyshore Gym, we skip the battling and give challengers a badge," the voice explained. "Please, help yourself."

No one moved. No one said anything for a very, _very_ long time. " _What_?!" Haley finally exclaimed. "Volkner doesn't battle?! What kind of shit is that?!"

"He got bored," Raichu informed, his ears flattening. "Trainers just weren't giving us any sort of challenge, and he found himself liking to ticker with machines more. So he started giving out badges."

"And the Pokémon League doesn't question it?!" Haley inquired angrily.

"Guess not," Jolteon grumbled. "Now we find ourselves having to go out on long expeditions just to get exercise. How do you think we found Luxray? He was stumbling around the city all bloodied and bruised. It was a miracle that we managed to drag Volkner's sorry butt out long enough for him to do something about it."

Haley stared at the Lightning Pokémon, her hazel eyes alit with fury. Finally she looked back at the box. "Do you record messages?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Yes," the machine answered. "Audio and video."

"Good, then send this Volkner." She growled and then held up a middle finger, surprising everyone, especially Paul. "My name is Haley Paige Sedai, and I want a battle with you, Volkner! So why don't you get that stick out of your ass and face me like the man you are! Unless you're too much a coward, and if you are, I hope whatever little inconsequential machine you're working on _breaks_!" At the last word, she gave the box a hard kick and then spun around. She stormed off, grumbling something about how stupid he was and cursing up a storm.

Paul watched her go, and then he looked to the four Pokémon, all of whom looked downcast but couldn't exactly blame the girl for being furious at their Trainer. Then the team looked at the purple haired boy, wondering what he was going to do. He had to figure that out himself.

Of course he agreed that the idea was stupid. He _was_ the one who got mad at Roark, Fantina, and even Byron for not being in their Gyms. But at the same time, he _had_ to have his eighth badge. With the Pokémon League only two and a half months away, he didn't want to scamper around the region in a desperate attempt to find another Gym. So, against all of the voices shouting in his head...

He took the Beacon Badge.

With one last guilty but disapproving look at the four Pokémon, he ran after his friend, who had gotten quite far. Thankfully she had stopped, and after slight hesitation, she grabbed a Poké Ball and released Staraptor. "We're heading to Canalave," she announced, holding back anger.

"Okay, but why did you bring out Staraptor?" Paul pondered.

"We're flying."

The two thought they died for a second. "What?!" the boy shouted.

"Are you serious?!" Staraptor squawked.

"Listen, I don't want to stay in this damn city any longer!" she told them. She took a breath to try and calm down. "And you need to have that battle with Byron. I don't feel like walking across the entire region. And besides..." She took another breath. "You..." Her voice went down a few notches from nervousness. "You were the one who said I should get over my fears, and you're right. So...let's go."

"Y-yeah," Paul agreed, still not believing she was _willingly_ doing this. Apparently she was more pissed than he realized. After collecting himself, he walked over to the bird. "We'll stop in Pastoria so Staraptor can get a break and you can get your bearings," he decided. "Just hold on as tight as you need. We won't let you fall."

She took a shaky breath. "Okay." She climbed onto her Pokémon after Paul, and then Staraptor took to the skies, leaving behind the Gym of Disappointment.

...

Later that night, Raichu ran down into the basement of their home, a bowl for Poké Food in his mouth. He entered to find his Trainer (surprise, surprise) with a welding mask on, hunched over the steel table and working on some sort of spherical object. Raichu's ears drooped but he called out anyway. Volkner stopped working and looked at the Electric type. "Oh, dinner time already," he noted. Raichu nodded. "Well, guess I can call it a day."

Raichu watched as the blond haired man put away his equipment, and before the human could go up the stairs, Raichu tugged at his pants, coaxing him over to the monitors. _Maybe if he watches the recording, he'll want to battle again,_ he reasoned.

Confused but curious, Volkner let his first Pokémon lead him over, and when the Electric type pointed to the "messages" button, the man understood. He wasn't happy, but he understood. He pushed the button, and he watched and listened as the young girl with the red bandana cursed him out, her gloved middle finger catching his eye. "A Sedai, huh," he commented. "Yes, her brother battled me once, if I remember." Ray was one of the last Trainers he faced, and while the green haired Trainer had been strong, he still couldn't win.

Perhaps his sister was exactly the same: all bark, no bite.

Volkner continued to watch as Haley kicked the box and stomped off, but he noticed the boy had stayed behind. "Hmm, he looks kind of familiar." He typed on the keys, and the video froze to analyze the Trainer. A bio came up. "Paul Shinji Zuckerman. Yes, now I remember. He's a Pokémon League regular. Interesting how he took a Badge; he doesn't seem too pleased." Then Volkner noticed the badges Paul had. "Desperation. So either the girl doesn't care, or she's taking on the Elite Four Run." Finally he stood up. "Not my problem." He walked upstairs.

His Pokémon slouched in disappointment. _Of course it didn't work,_ he thought. _I just hope one of these days, someone will start his spark again. I don't think I can take this anymore._


	39. New Faces

"Gastrodon, use Water Pulse!"

"Dodge it, Steelix!" The Iron Tail Pokémon slithered out of the way of the blue sphere.

But Paul wasn't about to let Byron's second Pokémon get away. "Mud Bomb!" he ordered. Gastrodon opened its mouth and fired mud at its opponent, and Steelix got hit in the face.

"Toughen up, buddy!" Byron encouraged. Steelix shook itself out. "Good! Now use Flash Cannon!"

"Don't let that happen! Use Muddy Water!" His Water-Ground type summoned a wave of brown water and slammed the wave right into Steelix, who fell to the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"Steelix is unable to battle!" Gerardo declared. "The winner is Gastrodon!"

As expected.

Despite not being used since their Lavaridge Gym Battle, Gastrodon hadn't gotten rusty in the slightest. Good thing, too, because Paul was planning on using it in the Sinnoh League, and this was really the only time to train.

Well, unless Volkner _finally_ decided to get off his lazy ass.

Still, all was going well. Byron was down two Pokémon, leaving only his Bastiodon left. Froslass had done a good job against the man's Bronzong, which Paul did know that it was an unfavorable match-up, but the Ice-Ghost type didn't let that slow her down. And Gastrodon had taken out Steelix expertly.

Now all that was left was the Shield Pokémon, and Paul had just the Pokémon for the job.

"Paul, you've definitely been worth the wait," Byron commented as both Trainers returned their Pokémon. "But we're not done yet. There's no giving up! I LOVE BASTIODON!"

The challenger got his own Poké Ball. "Toxicroak, stand by for battle!"

Unlike Froslass and Gastrodon, Paul wasn't really sure if he would use the Poison-Fighting type in the Sinnoh League. Still, he had considered it, and Fighting type moves were quadruple effective against the Rock-Steel type, so Toxicroak was a good choice in his eyes. "I'm excited to see where this goes," the Gym Leader voiced. "Show me what you've got!"

"Toxicroak, use Brick Break!" Paul ordered. The Toxic Mouth Pokémon leapt towards her opponent with her right fist glowing.

"Iron Defense!" Byron commanded. Bastiodon raised its defense, but Paul wasn't bothered.

"Flank to its side!" Toxicroak dashed over to the left side of Bastiodon, catching the Shield Pokémon off guard. "Now use Focus Blast!" Paul's Pokémon charged up a blue sphere and fired it at Bastiodon's soft body, causing it to tumble.

"Bastiodon, get back up!" It took a while, but it did, and by that time Toxicroak attacked again with a Brick Break to the back. Byron wasn't too happy. "Alright, Bastiodon, use Fire Blast!"

"Dodge it!" Toxicroak barely managed to leap out of the way of the huge fireball. "Now, double Brick Break!" She landed the attack on its back once more with ease, and just like that, Bastiodon was down.

Anti climatic and a bit short, maybe, but he deserved a break from all of the bullshit.

"Bastiodon is unable to battle! Toxicroak wins! The victory goes to Paul of Veilstone City!"

Toxicroak pumped her fist in the air, and Paul nodded. Meanwhile, Byron sighed but smiled as he returned his main Pokémon. "Paul, I will say I was definitely impressed with your strength today," he stated as he walked over. "You were strong enough to take down my prized team of Pokémon. So take this, the Mine Badge. You earned it, young man."

He took his last badge and nodded, and then he returned Toxicroak. "So, where are we heading now?" Haley asked as she joined them. She had been quiet throughout the entire battle, and Paul could only assume it was because she was still angry.

If she found out he took a Beacon Badge...he didn't even want to _think_ about it.

"Back to Sunyshore, I guess," he decided. "That's the fastest way to the Pokémon League."

Haley tried her best not to drop her neutral face. "Alright," she agreed. "We can... _fly_ to Pastoria City and then walk the rest of the way." Paul liked that plan, even if they were flying again. His friend had practically squeezed the life out of him on the way to Canalave.

Though, it _was_ his fault for saying she could hold on as tight as she wanted.

"Well, good luck in whatever you two do," Byron told them with a big grin. The Trainers nodded, and then they walked out of the Gym.

And they were met with some very unfortunate timing.

"Hello, you two." The Trainers looked to see a reporter and her crew, and they all looked very familiar. "I'm Rhonda Blade of Sinnoh Now, and-" She blinked. "Hey, I remember you two. You're both from the PokéRinger competition, aren't you?"

"Don't remind me," Haley huffed.

"Oh. Right." Rhonda cleared her throat. "Well, Paul, would it be okay if I interviewed you?"

"What for?" he inquired, confused.

"We're interviewing Trainers who have gotten eight badges," Rhoda explained. "And you just got your eighth one, right? So, we were hoping for an interview."

Paul stiffened. This was _not_ the way he wanted Haley to find out he took a Beacon Badge. "When did you get eight badges?" Haley questioned.

The teen turned his head and looked at her curious eyes. He opened his mouth to explain, but all that came out was a long, unintelligent, "Uh..."

She became even more confused, and then realization hit her. "Paul, did you-"

"We'll be right back," Paul informed the news crew. He grabbed Haley's wrist and quickly dragged her behind the Gym.

"You took a Beacon Badge?" she tried again, attempting to keep calm.

"Please, Haley, you have to understand," he began. She let him explain. "You can stand in front of his Gym and yell at him until the Miltanks come home, but at this point I have barely over two months. And I always use these two months to focus solely on training. If I'm running around trying to find another Gym I could end up missing the deadline. I hate it, too - _despise_ it even - but I don't have a luxury like you."

His friend stared at him, and after a few seconds Paul became nervous. Finally she closed her eyes and sighed. "Fine," she conceded. "If I can't battle him before the Sinnoh League, that's okay. I'll just wait until it's over." Paul sighed inwardly in relief that she didn't screech at him. "So, are you actually going to do the interview?"

"If it was anyone else, no," Paul admitted. Before he continued, he looked around the corner to make sure Rhonda was distracted. Luckily the brown haired woman was currently yelling at her coworker Jack for dropping the boom on her head... _again_. "But Rhonda is an extremely notorious reporter. If you say no, she'll _hound_ you until you agree to do it."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"So I guess we go out there, then."

"Unfortunately so." With that sigh, the two walked back over to the crew. "Sorry about that. I...um," he faked a cough, "I guess I'm ready."

Rhonda smiled. "Good," she stated. "Don't worry, it'll be super quick."

"Right." Even then, Paul wasn't really up to it, but all he had to do was breath and be calm.

They started up the equipment, and Rhonda began speaking into her microphone. _Relax, Paul, find your happy place,_ he thought. _You're on a grassy hill, with a clear blue sky, and there's a gentle breeze._ He tried to look like his neutral self as she introduced him, and he prayed that he was doing a good job at it. "Eight badges means you're qualified to enter the Sinnoh League, right?" the reporter asked excitedly. _How does a reporter not know that? And how am I even supposed to respond?_

Quickly, he thought up an answer as a horde of Ariados gnawing at his stomach. "Right," he confirmed. That didn't seem like a good enough answer, so he continued. "And my training will continue, because I have every intention of winning the Sinnoh League." Yeah, that was good, and he sounded perfectly confident, which was a nice bonus.

She smiled brightly, satisfied with his answer. "There you have it, folks!" Rhonda exclaimed. "Another confident Trainer ready to take on the League! It promises to be exciting this year, so don't miss it!"

"And we're off the air," one of the crewmembers announced a second or two later.

"Thank you so much," Rhonda said. "We won't be there personally, but I bet I'll see you on TV." That was a much easier pill to swallow, since when he was battling the rest of the world really didn't matter. "And good luck to you as well, Haley." The female Trainer nodded, and the crew waved before getting into their news van.

Once the van was gone, Paul let out the huge sigh of relief he had been holding in, and the horde in his stomach slowly began to fade. "Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"Can that be my karma for taking the Beacon Badge?"

Haley stared at him, and after a while she giggled. "Well, I can't say for the great cosmic forces, but from me, sure," she answered.

"Thanks," he replied. "I honestly thought you were going to yell at me or something."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset," she confessed. "Though your point makes some amount of sense."

Paul nodded. "If he decides to reopen before the deadline, I'll battle him," he decided. Haley smiled. "Of course, you can go first, and I know you'll knock him to next week."

She smiled bigger, and after a few seconds it shrunk and became sheepish. "So...I guess we fly now," the girl murmured nervously.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," Paul pointed out.

"I know, but...I don't want us to be in a rush." Then she twiddled her thumbs. "I just hope I don't hurt you again."

"Don't worry about it," he assured, trying not to show that he had felt slightly uncomfortable. "It'll get easier. For now just hold on and go to your happy place."

"Happy place," Haley repeated. "A nice, homey coffee shop with an acoustic guitar playing in the background."

The purple haired Trainer chuckled. "Just don't make yourself hungry," he joked. She giggled again, trying to shoo away her nervousness. "You ready?"

"Yeah," she breathed out. "I'm ready."

...

Two weeks had passed, which meant there was a little less than two months left until the Sinnoh League. Over those two weeks, the two had trained hard, with Paul swapping his Pokémon often. The months right before Leagues were Reggie's busiest months, since not only was he rotating his brother's team but also teams of other Trainers.

And there was a reason why Paul swapped the most during this time.

When it came to any League, the Veilstone Trainer never knew what to expect. No two Trainers were alike, so he needed a wide variety of Pokémon in order to counter as many different teams as he could, and each of those Pokémon had to be trained or else they wouldn't be much help. If he decided to stick with the same Pokémon for every battle he could face problems.

Which was why he was glad Haley participated in the Elite Four Run.

Not to say he thought her style of keeping the same team was bad, and that wasn't to say if she did take part in a League she would lose immediately. But unlike the unpredictable teams of League participants, the Elite Four had members with specific types and therefore specific Pokémon that usually never changed, so having the same team was less penalizing. Besides, she wouldn't be able to switch during the Run, so getting used to one team was ideal.

Speaking of Haley's team, Paul had never seen any of them train as hard as they did. Whether it was because they were so close to getting to participate in the Run or because of their annoyance towards Volkner being in his shell, he didn't know, but he did know one thing:

There was no way the Electric type Gym Leader would be able to stand up to their power.

As they continued their leisurely pace back to Sunyshore City, the two came across a place called Randosel Town. They were glad for it since they desperately needed to have their Pokémon healed, get supplies, and something to eat that wasn't rice and carrots. The Pokémon Center came into view, and they went inside, handing their teams to Nurse Joy before getting something to eat.

While they waited, Haley pulled out a notebook and began obsessively reading and writing in it, as she had been for the last three days. Paul remembered it had been the notebook where she wrote down Cynthia's team, but recently she had added the Sinnoh Elite Four to the pages and began studying them vigorously. She continued to do so while they ate, after Nurse Joy had given their Pokémon back, and even after lunch. Sick of seeing her nose in the thing, he snatched it from her. "Hey!" she cried.

"You need to learn to stop reading your notes constantly," he advised. "The Elite Four hasn't changed since you wrote them down, and unless you go back and scribble again your notes won't change on their own."

Haley pouted. "Well you don't have to be so mean about it," she grumbled. "Besides, I always do it when I'm close to getting my eighth badge."

"Ah, so it's a bad habit," he noted as he stood up and unzipped his bag.

"No it's not!" Haley denied. "Now give it back!"

He stared at her, and without looking away he dropped the notebook in his bag. "I will when you learn to not open it every five seconds," he replied, and he zipped his bag closed.

"Paul, give it!"

"No."

" _Give_ it!"

"No."

"Come on, just-"

"It's Paul, what do you know!" someone exclaimed in excitement. The two looked over to find a blond haired boy with orange eyes, an orange-and-white striped shirt, a green scarf, brown pants, and brown loafers. He had the biggest grin on his face and his eyes were shining. And while he was someone new and therefore someone of interest, both of them noticed the familiar faces first.

Ash, Dawn, and Brock was...somewhere.

Not wanting to stay, Paul put his bag on his back, and Haley picked up hers so she could follow. They walked to the door, but the new boy stopped them, clearly eager to talk. "Hi!" he greeted enthusiastically. "Your name's Paul, right?"

 _You...you just said my name not five seconds ago,_ Paul thought. Who even _was_ this kid? "Yes," he answered, deciding to play nice.

The strange kid beamed. "Bout time we met!" he proclaimed. "I'm Barry from Twinleaf Town! I'm gonna compete in the Sinnoh League, and I've already got badge number eight! What do you say we have a Pokémon battle right this second?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Paul declined. He tried walking away again, but the kid denied him once more, and he was so quick about it Haley couldn't even move a muscle to attempt to follow.

"Hey, what's with you?" Barry questioned. Paul didn't answer. "Then I guess I'm gonna have to fine you for blowing me off!"

Was this kid actually for real? He acted like a child who just learned what it meant to sue and started using it as a comeback to everything. Paul always hated those kids, so he stared the blond haired boy down intently. But strangely, instead of backing off, it only invigorated Barry to continue.

"The word on the street is you've raised some powerful Pokémon!" he stated with glee. "So a battle would be great!"

Paul still wasn't interested. "The Pokémon I have with me are the ones training for the Sinnoh League," he explained, hoping this time the kid would get the message. "I don't want them engaged in a pointless battle that might confuse them." Well, he looked ditzy enough. _He probably got his badges through flukes,_ Paul deduced.

Still, Barry wasn't deflated. It was like everything passed through one ear and out the other. "Don't sweat it, your Pokémon will get into primo shape if you all have a battle against us!" he insisted. "We're really strong! Come on, what do you say?"

No. The answer had _always_ been no, and it was going to _continue_ being no. "I'm not so sure if he wants to strain his Pokémon like that," Haley interjected, finally deciding to speak up and help get Paul out of this mess. "If you want, you can battle me, Barry."

Barry looked at her quizzically. "Who are you?" he asked.

Haley smiled. "My name's Haley Sedai," she introduced.

He said her name a few times, as if he was trying to remember something. "Ah, I got it!" he shouted. "You're the girl from the PokéRinger competition, aren't you? You lost to Paul, right?"

Out of _everything_ in that competition, _that's_ what he remembered about her. It also helped the two dawn on something. "Paul, I think you have a fan boy," Haley muttered. _Joyous,_ he grumbled.

If he heard that, it didn't seem to bother him. "Sorry, but you're just not as strong as Paul," Barry replied. "My Pokémon won't get stronger by fighting someone weaker than me."

Hey, if he didn't want to walk for a week, that was his choice.

" _Excuse_ me?!" Haley cried. "Who do you think you are, you little shit?!" She went to attack him, but Dawn and Brock - having been watching the conversation along with Ash - jumped in and held her back. That didn't stop her from struggling. "Trust me, when they let go, you won't be participating in _anything_!"

"Haley, calm down, he didn't mean it," Dawn soothed. "He's just...uh..."

"A self-entitled brat?" the older female hissed. She finally broke free but only crossed her arms and scowled. "Whatever. I was _trying_ to be nice. _Clearly_ you don't deserve it."

" _I_ think you should have a battle with _him_ ," Paul suggested bitterly, and for once not towards Ash...sort of. Forget being a fan boy, that wasn't even _half_ the problems with this kid. Ash and his friends seemed slightly surprised by Paul's suggestion, but only slightly.

"I want to battle strength like mine," Barry reasoned.

"Oh, and a three time Elite Four Run Champion isn't on your _pristine_ level?" Haley spat.

The kid outright _ignored_ her. "Ash has only got seven badges, you know?" he commented smugly. "He's just not on our level."

This was going beyond annoying and into downright insulting. His smug attitude, how he insulted Haley, and even his disrespect for Ash was just... Okay, so Paul couldn't exactly criticize the last point. But at least he had _some_ level of respect for the black haired Trainer, even if it was inner. Barry didn't seem to have a respectful bone in his _entire_ body. Speaking of Ash, he finally spoke up, noticing his rival's tolerance levels were draining fast. "Wow, Paul, so you got all eight badges," he noted. "I saw you on TV."

Great, so out of all people in Sinnoh, _he_ was one of those who saw. _At least I'll know if I looked stupid at any point,_ he thought. _He wouldn't pass up an opportunity to make some sort of taunt._ Of course, if Ash did have one, he was saving it for when no one else was around, which was highly unlikely.

"I'll catch up to you in no time," Ash promised. "I'll win my eighth badge at the Sunyshore Gym."

At this point, that was a trigger for Paul and Haley. It had been on their minds constantly, even though they tried to forget, and them _trying_ and _failing_ only made them more annoyed at the neglectful Gym Leader. "Sunyshore Gym?" Paul repeated with a snarl. Ash looked confused, so he continued. "That Gym is _not_ legit!" Bad choice of words, but they weren't _totally_ wrong.

"What are you talking about?" Barry piped up. The purple haired Trainer didn't like where this was going. "That Gym's the _best_!"

 _Aaaand_ there went his walking privileges...maybe...if she wasn't held back again.

"Listen here, _punk_!" Haley snapped. "You have no _right_ to call me weak when you took the easy way out to get your last badge!"

"Haley, what does that mean?" Dawn asked.

"It means that Gym's the _worst_ ," Paul responded in annoyance, and once again not towards the person he was addressing. And yes, perhaps both of he and Haley could have elaborated, but they had just about enough of the blond haired kid, so they walked out of the Pokémon Center without another word.

"Seriously, I can't _believe_ the _nerve_ of that kid!" Haley complained as they traveled to the town's Poké Mart. She growled and kicked a stone into a lamppost. "He's such a fucking hypocrite! At least you realize it's wrong! 'Oh, look at me, I'm stronger than everyone just because I have eight badges, and I got one of them for free'. I can't _wait_ to see his ass get _owned_ at the League. Watch it either be in the first round, or if he were to go up against you."

Paul nodded. "You complaining about this isn't going to make it less annoying, though," he brought up.

"I know. I'm just pissed, okay?" She crossed her arms. "He insulted me, right in front of everyone. I... I'm strong, and I..."

"Of course you're strong," Paul assured. "Look, it's like you said. He's a self-entitled brat. Don't let him get to you."

"You're right," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"There's no one you need to apologize to," he told her. Haley nodded slowly. "Come on, let's get supplies and get going."

It didn't take them long to buy all of the food and items they needed for the rest of the trip to Sunyshore. They walked along the sidewalk that would lead them back onto Route 222, and as they did they passed by Ash and Barry in the middle of a battle. Apparently they had decided to go through with it. Paul and Haley rolled their eyes but didn't say anything.

Because whenever Monferno was out, they couldn't exactly be angry for long.

"So what did you think of that Mach Punch?" Ash boasted. "With that move and his speed, who cares if Empoleon is a Water type."

"Ha! Big talker!" Barry countered. _Calling the kettle black there, Pot,_ both observing Trainers growled. "Now, Empoleon, Drill Peck!" The Emperor Pokémon's horns glowed white, and it spun towards Monferno like a drill.

"Monferno, use Dig!" Ash ordered. The chimp burrowed his way into the ground, which meant Empoleon missed entirely. Seconds later he came out of the ground and punched the Water-Steel type back. Ash's Pokémon quickly followed after it.

"Empoleon, use Hydro Cannon!" _At such close range?! Is he crazy?!_ Either he didn't realize it or he didn't care, because Barry allowed his Pokémon to continue the attack, and as expected Monferno went _flying_. The Fire-Fighting type landed somewhere far into the trees, and finally Barry seemed to understand what he had done. "Ah, hope I didn't overdo it!"

Too late for that.

Both Paul and Haley pondered on whether to help their old teammate, but they were interrupted when a giant plastic capsule flew down and trapped Ash inside. They watched in confusion as he began to pound against his cage, and Pikachu ran over to try and help. Soon after the other three Trainers were in capsules of their own, and then...

Ugh, couldn't they just _fuck off_ already?!

Once more Team Rocket recited their motto, though it did sound a bit different than before. Not that Paul or Haley cared, they just wanted them _gone_. Of course, the crooks weren't leaving without thieving, and while they recited they captured Pikachu, Piplup, and Empoleon and stuck them into a cage below their hot air balloon, which _sounded_ like a stupid idea but they didn't seem to care.

Then things just got _worse_.

Off in the distance, around where Monferno had landed, came a huge pillar of fire. Ash, Dawn, Brock, Paul, and Haley all easily deduced what that meant, and none of them were exactly happy. Then the pillar turned into a huge Flame Wheel that slammed into Ash's capsule and broke him free. The Flame Wheel broke, revealing what they already knew.

Monferno's Blaze had activated again.

His eyes were red and dilated once more, and the fire on his tail was five times the size. He screamed out like a madman again, and everyone stared at him in fear and shock. Paul gripped the rope that separated the park from the sidewalk as tightly as he could. _How hasn't Ash gotten this under control yet?_ he asked, panicking. _Doesn't he understand how dangerous and painful it is when Monferno goes into that state? I understand not relying on it, but if it's going to harm anyone and everyone including Monferno himself, then-_

"Paul, everything's going to be okay," Haley said aloud, but even he could hear the worry in her voice. She was probably thinking the same thing and was trying to assure herself.

 _"A" for effort, I guess,_ Paul thought.

Ash ran up and hugged his Pokémon, trying to calm the Fire-Fighting type down like he had back when he was a Chimchar. But Monferno was much more power, and he effortlessly shoved his Trainer back several feet. Like the idiots they were, Team Rocket snatched the crazy Pokémon with one of the robotic hands on their balloon, which only proceeded to make him angrier. Without any real strength he broke the metal and landed back on the ground. He charged up another Flame Wheel and went straight for Team Rocket.

"Monferno, Pikachu and the others are still trapped-" Ash was pushed aside by the attack, and Monferno barreled into the thieves, sending them off into the sky once more.

That left everyone else to deal with their crumbling machine.

Whatever Team Rocket had used to make the cage was extremely durable, because not even Empoleon with its sharp claws could break through. If they didn't destroy it in time, all three Pokémon would be crushed. Deciding they couldn't stand on the sidelines any longer, Paul and Haley released Electabuzz and Umbreon to help, catching Ash completely by surprise. "Protect!" Paul ordered, and Electabuzz immediately put up the green barrier, stopping the machine from crashing.

"Psychic, quick!" Haley commanded. Umbreon's eyes glowed blue, and she helped hold it in place. But even with their combined strength, it was clear they had very little time. Protect couldn't last more than a minute, and the weight and size of the machine put a huge strain on the Dark type's mind. "Just keep going for as long as you can!"

While the two kept the machine steady, the captured Pokémon continued to assault the cage bars. Meanwhile Ash was trying to reason with Monferno, but he wouldn't listen. Once more he created a Flame Wheel, and this time the attack hit one of the legs, causing the machine to move drastically. "Yeah...thanks for...making my life...more difficult," Umbreon panted.

"It shouldn't take that long to break, it's just metal!" Electabuzz shouted. "And now I'm worried Monferno's going to crash right into the barrier."

"Don't...jinx it."

Though it did seem that way when Monferno looped back around and went straight for Protect. Ash jumped in his way again, finally catching and stopping him this time. Everyone looked on in awe, especially Paul. _How can he just throw himself in like that when for all he knows he could get severely injured?_ he questioned. _It's stupid, and yet he just...knows. The world hasn't exactly been kind to him either, and yet he always looks on the bright side. Just...just like Reggie._

Paul hoped, though, that Ash's look towards the bright side wouldn't be for not.

The Pallet Trainer talked to his Pokémon, desperately trying to get Monferno to remember their promise to get stronger together. They both became enveloped in the fire's heat, but Ash didn't let that stop him from continuing to encourage the chimp and say that he couldn't let Blaze control him like it was. Monferno screamed, and Haley couldn't tell if it was in pain, madness, or a struggle for control.

And while all of _that_ was going on, things got **_worse_**.

Time was up for Protect, and Umbreon's mind couldn't handle the sudden extra weight. Tired, both Pokémon could only watch helplessly as the machine fell towards them. " _No_!" Paul cried.

" ** _UMBREON!_** " Haley shrieked, almost making a mad dash for her starter. On instinct Paul grabbed her and held her back, and in response Haley gripped his jacket tightly.

Finally, though, something good happened.

Monferno reeved up another Flame Wheel and went right for the underside of the cage. Then there was a white light, and the flames dispersed...

To reveal a back-to-normal Infernape easily holding up the cage.

The newly evolved Pokémon turned his head and looked at the other two, smiling as he did. Umbreon smiled back. "Fine, you're forgiven for earlier," she stated.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Infernape replied. Then he eyed Electabuzz with a smirk. "And do I get a thank you from you?"

Electabuzz returned the smirk. "Just finish the job," he told him.

Infernape rolled his eyes jokingly. "Pikachu, Piplup, Empoleon, hold on tight!" he advised. When the three gave him the okay, the Flame Pokémon tossed the machine into the air, and - as per the order of his Trainer - he used Mach Punch, finally breaking the metal cage. Infernape grabbed the two smaller Pokémon, and he and Empoleon landed on the ground safely. As soon as the Fire-Fighting type set his friends down, he was enveloped in a surprise hug from Haley.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

"Aw, H-Haley, you don't-" She hugged him tighter, cutting him off. He smiled softly. "Of course. No problem."

Paul took a few seconds to slow his rapidly beating heart before he walked over to Ash. "My guess is that Infernape temporarily took Blaze's energy and used it to evolve," he theorized aloud. Ash looked at him. "Just for that moment, he had control of it. But don't think that means he has total control. For all you know it might be more difficult."

"Maybe," Ash agreed. Then he smiled. "Or maybe it'll be easier. Infernape's a lot stronger now."

"Guess you'll find out," Haley piped up. The Pallet Town Trainer nodded.

With his new strength Infernape smashed the other three capsules, freeing the other Trainers. Dawn and Barry reunited with their Pokémon, and the blond haired Trainer thanked Infernape for his help. Then Dawn scanned Infernape in her Pokédex, and when it was over she giggled. "Good thing you don't have a Pokédex, Haley," she brought up. "I bet your Infernape's pride would skyrocket if he heard his speed was unmatched."

"Yeah, especially since Dad would proceed to get his Crobat out and teach him a thing or two," Haley laughed.

"You don't have a Pokédex?" Barry questioned.

"I don't _need_ a Pokédex," she corrected, boasting. "When you can understand your Pokémon, it's not necessary."

"Wait, you can _do_ that?"

"What, you gonna make fun of me for it?" Haley accused.

"No, I- I was going to say that's pretty cool." Barry looked down at the ground, sheepish. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It wasn't right."

Haley stared intently at him, and then she smiled softly. "You're lucky I can be too forgiving sometimes," she stated. Barry looked up and smiled big. "You know, I think the Sinnoh League is going to be pretty interesting this year, right Paul?" It certainly was, but Paul just shrugged and turned to walk off.

"Hey Paul." He stopped as Ash spoke to him. "Thanks a lot."

He couldn't explain why, but that made him...kind of happy. He had this feeling, though, that if acknowledged it, he would say something stupid, so he kept quiet.

"Let's battle someday," Ash continued. "You, me, and Infernape." The newly evolved Pokémon agreed to that, and silently so did Paul.

And that also reminded him of something.

"My brother said that he would to see us in a full battle again sometime," he revealed. Reggie had told him about five days ago when he went to swap in Ninjask.

 _"And I have this feeling it'll happen soon,"_ Reggie had predicted. _"Call it a hunch, but I think the two of you are going to be battling in the full battle round of the Tournament, so keep on your toes."_

Absolutely. Paul knew Ash wasn't going to make the same mistake of being predictable twice. He would have to ask if something was wrong with the younger boy if it did happen. But it wouldn't, because neither of them would be satisfied ending their run with a half-assed battle.

Sparks were going to fly. That's the prediction Paul had.

Ash and Infernape smirked. "Sounds good!" the Trainer responded, and there was a glint of excitement and determination in brown eyes. "We'll see you then." His rival nodded, and Haley waved to the four as they walked off.

"So, why did you forgive him?" Paul inquired when they were far enough away.

"I just have this feeling he's the kind of guy who speaks before he thinks," Haley explained, "and he apologized. I mean, Brandi is that type of person sometimes, and she's my best friend, so I can't exactly say I can't stand those people."

"Well, he better learn to, or else he might get in a lot of trouble someday," Paul pointed out.

She agreed. "Besides, the one I should be mad at is Volkner." She began to chuckle darkly. "When he finally decides to man up and battle, and when I'm done with him, he won't be able to tell his head from his ass!"

Her friend smirked. "And then it'll be off to the Sinnoh League," he said.

"Yeah! So let's get going!"


	40. At My Worst

There were now three weeks left until the Sinnoh League began.

Joyous.

Paul and Haley hung around Route 222 on the side closest to Sunyshore City, waiting for the Shocking, Shining Star to finally reopen his Gym. The Nurse Joy became very familiar with them since they came in every two or three days. Every day they dropped in to heal their Pokémon, eat, and sleep in a bed, the answer was always the same.

"Sorry, he hasn't reopened yet."

Still, they waited for him, wanting to battle no one else but the Electric type Gym Leader. Haley's Pokémon were just as stubborn, if not more so, with Luxray the most stubborn of all since she really wanted to battle her brother. So in the end, Haley decided she would request a four-on-four, with her Pokémon being Torterra, Umbreon, Luxray, and Infernape.

If the Gym would actually _open_.

They trained and trained and trained, to the point where Paul - of _all_ people - actually got a little sick of it. But he didn't even dare to try and persuade them out of it; Haley and her four Pokémon had dangerous determination in their eyes that told him _no one_ would be talking them out of training.

And then _finally_ , only one and a half weeks before the Sinnoh League sign-up deadline, Volkner began taking challengers once more.

Cutting it a _little_ close there.

Unfortunately, Volkner was quite popular, and Haley was a tad worried and annoyed that she might have to wait even longer. Thankfully, the Gym Leader had seen her message and told Nurse Joy to tell the black haired Trainer that she was next in line.

"Good," Haley chuckled darkly, a trait Nurse Joy had gotten used to because of all the threats the girl had made over the month and a half. "Guys, you ready to stick it to him?"

"He'll be begging for mercy," the four Pokémon promised ominously.

Nurse Joy sighed at the five dark expressions. "Hey, at least they're honest with their feelings," Paul muttered.

Quickly the two Trainers made their way to the Gym, and a line of Trainers watched them go up to Volkner, who was waiting outside the door with a challenging smirk. "Glad you could make it," he greeted as they stopped in front of him. "Your message did intrigue me, you know. Not even your brother was that bold."

"Ray also didn't have to deal with your ass being in the basement all day," Haley retorted. "I'm not in the mood for small talk; you and I are going to have a four-on-four battle, and I _will_ win this badge. Understand?"

Volkner smirked even wider. "I can't wait," he stated.

The Leader in the blue jacket led the two teenagers inside, and the line tried to follow, but Paul stared at them intently. Intimidated, the line backed off, and Paul continued to follow the other two. They walked to a normal dirt battlefield, where a man with a red Afro, a yellow tank top, beige baggy pants, and sandals was waiting. "So, this is your next challenger?" he asked.

"And then she'll be yours," Volkner replied.

"Yep!" the other man exclaimed. "I've been waiting to battle this girl for a long time!" He put on a goofy grin. "The Sinnoh Elite Four has heard a lot about you, Haley, and we're all pretty excited. The name's Flint, by the way."

"The Fire type expert, third in line," Haley described.

Flint's grin grew. "Someone does research," he noted. Then he looked at Paul. "And you must be Cynthia's cousin. There's been quite a bit of rumbling about you, too. I'm excited to watch you in the Sinnoh League this year."

"Thanks," Paul responded.

"So, like I told Volkner, I'm not in the mood for small talk," Haley informed. "I've waited too long to get this badge, so I want to battle as soon as possible."

"Sounds good to me!" the Fire type Elite Four member agreed. "Show me what you've got, firecracker!"

"The Sunyshore Gym Battle between Volkner - the Gym Leader - and Haley - the challenger - will now begin," the robotic referee began once everyone was in their places. "It will be a four-on-four battle, and the battle will be over when all four Pokémon on either side are unable to continue. Furthermore, only the challenger is able to substitute-"

"No," Haley cut in sternly. " _Both_ sides are allowed substitutions. I've waited around _three_ **_months_** to battle you, and I'm _not_ going to take the easy way out. You _will_ fight me with Champion level rules."

It fell silent for a couple of seconds, giving the others time to wonder if maybe she was taking everything too far. Finally, Volkner shrugged. "If you say so," he decided. "TEC, amend the rule to what the challenger wishes."

"Very well," his invention replied. "Both sides are allowed substitutions. Battle begin!"

"I know you're ready, so I won't ask," Volkner stated. "Now, here's my first Pokémon!" He threw his Poké Ball, and Jolteon appeared on the battlefield.

Not changing out of her dead serious expression, Haley brought out her own Poké Ball. "Umbreon, battle stance!"

Umbreon took to the field, glaring down the other Eeveelution. Jolteon smirked. "I've been waiting for this," he told the Dark type.

"I'm not in the mood to talk, so let's just to what we're here for," Umbreon growled.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Haley sneered. "Umbreon, Faint Attack!" In the blink of an eye the Moonlight Pokémon disappeared, charging towards her opponent unseen.

But Volkner's Pokémon had the ability to do that as well.

"Quick Attack!" he ordered, and Jolteon disappeared as well. Of course, Haley had prepared for that. Paul had his Ninjask fight the Dark type, and his Torterra helped with the Stone Edge exercise that they usually saved for Infernape. As a result, Umbreon had become pretty fast.

Or, at least, they thought she was.

In no time the two Pokémon collided, but it was Jolteon who knocked the opposing Pokémon back. Umbreon quickly picked herself up and growled, which was matched by her Trainer. "Dark Pulse!" Haley commanded.

"Thunderbolt!" Volkner countered. The two projectiles collided, and they were even, with neither of them giving any leeway. But the Gym Leader had a trick up his sleeve. He made a clicking noise with his tongue twice, and Jolteon canceled his Electric attack to use Quick Attack once more. The Lightning Pokémon sprinted underneath Umbreon's Dark Pulse and slammed into the unsuspecting challenger in the chest, sending her high into the sky. Yet Volkner wasn't done. "Pin Missile!" Jolteon's spiky fur became even spiker right before he fired multiple needles at his opponent.

Since she was unable to recover while in the air, Umbreon took most of the small needles. Haley grunted. "Psychic, now!" The Dark type made her eyes glow blue, and the last handful of needles stopped in their tracks. "Send them back!" Umbreon made the needles fly back towards Jolteon.

"Dodge them!" The Electric type hopped around, successfully dodging his redirected attack. Then Volkner clicked his tongue again, and Jolteon used Quick Attack again. Since Umbreon was still falling to the ground, she didn't have the ability to fight back when the Lightning Pokémon crashed into Umbreon again. She flew back and into the metal wall before landing on the floor, swirls in her eyes.

"Umbreon is unable to battle!" TEC declared. "Jolteon wins!"

The challenger wasn't very happy with the outcome. With a grunt she returned her Pokémon and looked at the Poké Ball. "Take a good rest," she whispered. As she placed the Ball in her belt, Volkner returned his own Pokémon. There was a smile on his face, something that Haley didn't like, either. She took out another Poké Ball. "Torterra, battle stance!" In a beam of light, the Continent Pokémon appeared on the field and let out a roar.

Volkner smirked. "Interesting," he stated. "Jolteon, return!" The Lightning Pokémon went back into his Poké Ball, which the Gym Leader swapped with another. "Electivire, let's go!"

As soon as the Electric type appeared, Haley began her attack. "Earthquake!" Torterra already has his legs up when she gave the command, and he instantly slammed them down. The two had made sure to put effort into making the Ground type move as strong as it could be, and everyone could feel it.

Well, everyone except Electivire.

Knowing that a Torterra would most certainly have Earthquake, Volkner and his Pokémon had prepared for it. Before the Grass-Ground type executed the move, Electivire jumped into the air. Haley looked up at her opponent and growled. "Seed Bomb!" she shouted. Torterra opened his mouth and fired the Grass type attack into the sky.

"Use Fire Punch!" Volkner commanded. Electivire ignited his right fist and then began to spin like a drill towards Torterra, burning all of the seeds in the process.

"Brace yourself!" Haley ordered. Her Pokémon shut his mouth and brought up his guard right as the Electric type collided with him. They struggled for a bit before Torterra began to be forced back. "Now use Giga-"

"Ice Punch!" Volkner cut in, and immediately Electivire's left fist became light blue. He slammed it into the Continent Pokémon, sending his crashing into the wall and fainting just like Umbreon.

Two hits.

Two hits and Torterra was down.

So it was no surprise that Haley was absolutely furious, but no one expected her to be _this_ furious.

Without a word, she returned Torterra to his Poké Ball and immediately chose the next one. Volkner had seen plenty of eyes filled with anger in his days, but never with as much as Haley. _Note to self: never go on hiatus again,_ he thought. _Your opponents lose focus._ "LUX, BATTLE STANCE!" she roared.

Paul's eyes widened as Lux appeared. He knew where this was going, and it wasn't anywhere good. "Haley, calm down, don't let-"

"SHUT _UP_!" Haley interrupted, not letting Paul get out his advice. "I WON'T STAND FOR HIM MAKING A FOOL OUT OF ME!"

He stared at her, speechless. There had been plenty of times before where she had been furious, but sometimes it almost seemed...comical. There was absolutely nothing funny about this; in fact, it was a bit worrying. What worried Paul even more was that Lux seemed to have no objections. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon seemed just as furious as her Trainer, evident by the electricity crackling around her body. "Is she going to be all right?" Flint asked.

Normally Paul never doubted Haley's abilities as a Trainer. He still barely believed she had lost all those battles in Hoenn; it just didn't seem like her. _Wait,_ Paul thought. _Hoenn... Didn't she say something about Norman?_

_When I came to Petalburg the first time, I insulted him because he wouldn't let me in because I didn't have four badges even though I had won two Runs._

Old habits unfortunately died hard, and still Paul knew that the best.

Perhaps because he sensed tension, Volkner's Luxray popped out of his Poké Ball and noticed his sister. He stared at her curiously and with concern. "Um, Sis, are you-"

"Shut up and fight so we can beat your stupid Trainer already!" Lux hissed.

Luxray recoiled. "Um, Sis, maybe you should calm-"

"Are you going to battle or what?!"

Realizing he wasn't going to win, Luxray made a motion to Volkner saying that he wanted to battle. The Gym Leader nodded and returned Electivire. "Very well, your Luxray versus mine," Volkner agreed. "Your move."

"ICE FANG!" Lux's fangs extended a little and turned light blue, and she charged at top speed towards Luxray.

"Dodge, Luxray!"

"DON'T YOU LET HIM!" Haley bellowed. Lux bunched up her muscles and tapped into a speed that, in her right mind, even she would have been surprised by. She latched her deadly cold fangs onto her brother's body, and he let out a cry in pain. He began to feel the effects of freezing, so he flipped himself over, sending Lux slamming into the dirt. Her fangs let go, and she hissed in pain as Luxray jumped away.

"Good job, Luxray," Volkner complimented his Pokémon as their opponent got to her feet. "Now use Iron Tail!" His tail glowed white and he pounced, successfully hitting Lux on her back. She fell back to the ground, and her brother jumped away again. Lux got to her feet again and glared.

"Lux, you're letting your emotions get to you," the male warned. "Neither you or Haley are focused."

"Are you finished?" Lux growled.

 _This is going nowhere,_ both Luxray and the Gym Leader (even if he didn't know what Lux said, he could hear the growl) thought. They decided that if Haley and her Pokémon wouldn't listen, they might as well end the battle as quickly as possible. "Alright, Luxray, Double Team!" Volkner ordered. In an instant, there were multiple copies of the male Gleam Eyes Pokémon on the field.

Haley grunted harshly. "THUNDERBOLT!" Lux charged up and fired multiple Thunderbolts to get rid of the copies. Unfortunately, she created a huge dust cloud that made it impossible to find the real one. Frustrated, Lux swiveled her head around, not thinking to use her other senses. Her Trainer didn't think to inform her, since she was just as frustrated. That gave the Gym Pokémon the element of surprise, and he slammed another Iron Tail into Lux's side, sending her tumbling along the ground.

"Good work! Now use Thunder Fang!" Volkner quickly commanded, and his Pokémon quickly complied. His fangs coursed with electricity, and he bit Lux's torso, causing her to faint.

"Haley's Luxray is unable to battle, which means Volkner's Luxray is the winner!"

There was a long, loud yet muffled shriek of frustration before Haley returned her third fallen Pokémon. Paul had never seen his friend lose her cool as much as she was during this battle. He knew when this was all over, her anger would be gone and she would blame herself, and he couldn't do a thing about it. _Did she and Reggie feel this hopeless back in Snowpoint?_ he wondered sadly. Paul watched as the challenger angrily swapped in Infernape (who Paul had _never_ seen this aggravated and was the _last_ one he'd figure to see like that) for Lux. "She's not always like this, right?" Flint inquired as Volkner brought his fourth Pokémon, Raichu, into the battle.

"Of course not," Paul immediately answered. "If I had known she would get this worked up, I would have done something. She's going to regret this, I know it."

Flint frowned. "Well, she might be the one responsible for her emotions, but Volkner should have seen something like this happening when he decided to hand out badges," he stated. "I told him I won't report him to the Pokémon League since he is an old friend, but I'm going to keep an eye on him. This isn't fair to anyone." Paul agreed to that.

"FLAMETHROWER!" Haley yelled.

"Counter with Thunder, Raichu!" Volkner ordered, and Infernape was too angry to care about his old fear. The two projectiles collided in the middle of the field, and they appeared to be matched. But the Gym Leader was no longer letting his challenger have any sort of leeway. She had her chances. "Volt Tackle!" Just like Jolteon, Raichu cancelled his attack and sped off, avoiding the other attack. His body became surrounded by golden electricity, and it tackled Infernape with full force, knocking the air out of the ape. The Mouse Pokémon wasn't through. "Use Thunderbolt, and don't stop!"

Infernape quickly regained air and barely dodged the attack, and soon he found himself running away from multiple Electric type attacks. There was no time for him to counter, and soon he found himself in a giant dust cloud like Lux. Once either, neither Haley nor her Pokémon figured to use any sense other than sight, which left Infernape open to another Volt Tackle. He flew back and slammed onto the ground just as the dust disappeared. Everyone had their eyes on the Fire-Fighting type, watching as he slowly put his hands on the ground and struggled to push himself up. He was able to get on one knee, and he panted harshly as he glared at Raichu.

"D-don't...don't think...this is over... _rat_ ," Infernape spat.

"No, it's not," Raichu agreed. "You and your team will keep coming back until the badge is yours, I know it."

The Flame Pokémon's eyes went wide before he glared even harder and got on both feet. "Who...who says I'm...losing today?" he challenged.

"Judging from your state, even if you somehow beat me, you won't win against the others," the Electric type predicted. "But please, try."

Both Infernape and Haley growled at Raichu's very bold (but somewhere deep, _deep_ in the back of their minds they knew was true) statement. "FLAME WHEEL!" Haley barked, her voice cracking in desperation. Her Pokémon created the wheel and charged at his opponent. The Electric type jumped out of the way, and the wheel broke with Infernape trying to catch his breath.

That was all Volkner needed.

"Raichu... End this with Thunderbolt!"

"Infernape, dodge it!" Haley ordered, her voice in too much pain to yell any longer.

But even though her Pokémon wanted to, he just didn't have the strength to move.

Haley had experienced quick battles before, some exciting and some anti-climactic.

Never had any of them been ones she lost.

She felt so... _stupid_. Without a word she returned Infernape, and silence fell over the field. Volkner opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak Haley fled in shame. Surprised, Paul stood up to follow her.

"Hold on," Volkner called out. Paul looked at the blond Gym Leader, whose blue eyes were slightly somber. "At some point, tell her I'm sorry. She needs to control her emotions - and I know she can do that - but I'm to blame as well."

Paul nodded, and then he ran out of the stands and out of the Gym, determined to find his disheartened friend.


	41. A Friend In Need

"Haley!" Paul called as he searched the streets, but it was like his crestfallen friend had disappeared. Not surprising seeing as Sunyshore  _was_ a pretty big city, but Paul had grown up in Veilstone. That meant this search should have been easy, right?

Wrong.

Paul should have known the search would be difficult when Nurse Joy informed him Haley hadn't come into the Pokémon Center, not even to drop off her defeated Pokémon. That meant no Umbreon to give him a general idea of where her depressed Trainer would go and no Staraptor to search from the air.

And that was how he found himself calling her name like an idiot.

"Haley!" he shouted again, getting a few people to look at him but nothing more. He did see one girl perk up - to which he was about to react - but then she went right back to whatever she had been doing. She was probably named Haley as well but then realized she didn't know the idiot shouting the same name over and over. Paul sighed in exhaustion and a little frustration. Why did people have to have the same name? Like, seriously, he was pretty sure he had met at least one Joey in every region he visited. Well, at the very least, they didn't all talk his ear off about how their Rattata was in the top-

"Hey!" The exclamation snapped Paul out of his weird inner rant. He found himself stopping in front of a teenage boy looking somewhere around his age. He had slightly darker tan skin than Haley, but he definitely had the same smile as her. The boy had red eyes and white hair...or, was it a hat? Then Paul noticed the black hair coming out of the hat.  _Ah, there's my answer,_ he thought. He studied the rest of the teen; he was wearing an orange-and-black tight t-shirt, a green one shoulder bag, black-and-gray capris, and white-and-green sneakers.

"Eyes on the eyes, dude," the guy commented. Paul rolled his eyes and stopped looking at the teen's shoes to meet him eye-to-eye. Despite his annoyed sounding tone, he still had that bright smile; in fact, it had probably become a small grin. "I heard you yelling. You looking for someone?"

Paul wondered if he should brush the guy off, but something told him to stick around. "Yeah," he answered. "But I doubt you know her."

"I know her name by this point," the guy stated.

The purple haired Trainer rolled his eyes again. "Let's see how far that gets you when you ask the girl sitting on the bench back there," he replied.

"Then describe her for me, since you're the only one who knows what she looks like." Paul huffed. "Man, think about it. Four eyes are better than two."

"Fine," Paul gave in. "She has Murkrow black hair, and it's always up in a ponytail."

The boy's eyes grew a bit bigger. "A red bandana with a white Poké Ball logo on it?" he inquired.

_Does he know her?_ Paul questioned. Well, there was only one way to find out. "And a white t-shirt."

"A red backpack?"

"A black fingerless glove on her left hand."

"A red-and-black plaid skirt?"

"And red sneakers," they both finished. Suddenly Paul was pulled into a bear hug.

"Welcome to the family, dude!" the guy exclaimed.

"Personal space!" Paul shouted, and the excited teen freed him. "What the hell was that about?"

He grinned even wider. "I'm one of Haley's best friends!" he revealed.  _And I think my chances of getting her just dropped considerably._ Meanwhile, the teen stuck out a hand. "The name's Brendan Rick Birch. It's awesome to meet another friend of hers!"

Paul stared at his tan hand, trying to wrap his head around his name. The obvious famous last name  _should_  have been the first thing he questioned. "Your initials are... BRB?" he questioned dryly.

But Brendan didn't drop his hand and give him a curious stare like most people would. Instead, he just laughed. "Yeah, not even my parents noticed it!" he told Paul. "I noticed it when I was...five, six? Somewhere around there."

"And your father is  _the_ Professor Birch?" Paul clarified, getting to the more obvious question.

"Yep!" Brendan answered with a grin, one eye closed, and one thumb pointing back at him. "That's my dad! Unfortunately...he, uh, tends to get a little  _too_ enthusiastic into his research, so much so that he's...kind of absentminded about his family."

"Preaching to the choir," Paul responded, seeing as how he almost forgot both his uncle and grandmother, not to mention he had no idea of Cynthia.

Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. "So, you gonna shake my hand and introduce yourself or what?" Brendan finally asked. "My arm's getting kind of tired."

_A friend of Haley's alright,_ Paul thought as he took the boy's hand. "Paul," he introduced. Brendan gave a look that told him to say his full name. "Paul Shinji."

"I asked for your  _full_ name," Brendan stated.

"First, no, your look did," Paul corrected, tearing his hand away. "Second, no one gets to know my last name."

"Even your parents?" He received a smack to the back of the head as a reward. "Ow! Joking, man! Have some fun!" Brendan shook his head. "Anyway, why are you searching for Haley?"

Paul sighed. "She lost a Gym Battle pretty badly-"

"Say no more, my friend, I have a feeling I know the rest," Brendan interrupted. "And I know exactly where she would go in a situation like this."

"Where?!"

Brendan backed up slightly at the sudden, loud question. "Whoa, easy, I'll show you," he promised.

"Well, let's go!" Paul tried to run, grabbing Brendan's wrist, but the tan kid held him back.

"Hey, hey, there's no need for rush," he assured.

"Haley has been gone for an hour!" Paul revealed.

Her friend nodded. "Yeah, so there's no need for rush." Paul gave him the most "What the  _fuck_?!" look ever. "After a loss at a Gym, she needs at least two hours, maybe a little longer depending on the severity... Uh, tell me everything, actually." So Paul told him how Haley had insulted the Electric type Gym Leader about three months before and then proceeded to get her ass handed to her on a silver platter. "Oo," Brendan hissed, flinching. "Let's give her another thirty minutes."

"Why?"

"She needs time alone. Trying to pep talk her is only going to go in and out." He even demonstrated it with his fingers poking at his head.

Paul relaxed and sighed. "Fine, we'll do things your way," he reluctantly agreed.

Brendan grinned. "Good! So, have you explored the city?" Then he slapped his forehead but was still grinning. "Of course you have, Haley probably dragged you around Sunyshore the first time you guys came here."

_A guy who knows her inside and out, has probably been her friend for years, is kind of funny, and honestly not bad looking,_ Paul thought.  _How the fuck did I think I ever stood a chance with her?_ "Actually, she was kind of eager to get her final badge, so she wanted to get there as quickly as possible," Paul explained, "and when she found out Volkner gave out his badges, she stormed out."

The red-eyed boy blinked. "Forty minutes," he suddenly stated. Paul sighed again.

So the boys decided to wander around and explore, finding many shops obviously directed at tourists. Though, to be fair, from the selection he could see Paul thought that for once the nonnatives weren't getting ripped off. The homemade necklaces and bracelets - all made from seashells or rocks - were genuine, and there was some decent selection on touristy clothing. And since people did  _live_ in the city, there were places for the locals as well, like solar panel companies. The men and women in business suits seemed to jump at the locals, but they could also easily tell who was and wasn't from their city, giving Paul much relief.

Then he noticed something odd: Brendan was eyeing people and making very weird faces. Sometimes he would have this look like he swallowed a very sour Nomel Berry, sometimes it would be impassive, sometimes it would be full of glee but then crushed a second later, and sometimes his eyes would linger so long his head would have to follow. All the while Paul eyed him curiously, and when they had made it to the outdoor Sunyshore Market, he finally said something. "Okay, what's with you?" he asked.

Brendan, still with his hands behind his head, casually looked around the market. "Looking for potential mates, seeing as how I lost a good one," he reported.

Paul continued to give him a confused stare. "Look, if you think I like Haley, don't let it bother you," he stated. "She's been friends with you longer, so she'll probably like you more."

"First off, you don't know that," Brendan countered. "Second off, I wasn't talking about her."

Now Paul was even more confused. "Then what do you mean?" he questioned.

"I was talking about you," he revealed casually. Paul's eyes bugged out. "I mean it's so obvious you like her - judging from how much you're panicking - so you're kind of taken."

The Veilstone Trainer stopped abruptly. He had been rendered completely speechless as he watched Brendan just nonchalantly walk down the Market Street. After a few seconds he finally found his voice...kind of. "Wait- so then- you- WHAT?!"

Brendan shrugged. "Yeah, I'm gay," he clarified just as nonchalantly as his walking posture. "And I thought you were pretty good looking. Unfortunately, I should have also known you weren't gay. You just don't look it."

"Neither do you!" Paul pointed out, finally getting his legs to move again. "And what is with guys falling for me?!"

"You know someone else who's gay?" Brendan inquired in excitement, hope shining in his eyes.

Paul wanted to bash his head against a wall. "Well, yeah, but he doesn't want too many people to know," he replied. "He's...kind of nervous about it."

"Why?"

"Why do you think?"

Brendan sighed. "Yeah, people can be real assholes about this stuff," he said. "A choice...yep, I  _totally_  woke up one morning and decided I wanted to be gay for a year so that I could get persecuted." He sighed again, but then he smiled. "Ah, but whatever. I like who I am, and that guy you know should like himself, too."

Paul smiled. "He is getting better," he told Brendan. "It's just kind of a struggle since our city doesn't accept people like him. He had to run because he was tired of being afraid."

"Veilstone City?"

"How did you know?"

"You just kind of looked like a Veilstone kid," Brendan stated. "Not to mention I remember seeing a guy a little older than you but he kind of looked like you. He was kind of cute, too, but too old for me. And I think he had a girlfriend." Paul's eyes bugged out again. Reggie had a  _girlfriend_?! Since when?! And how did he not know?! "Of course, that's an 'I think' statement. They could have just been friends." That calmed Paul down a bit. "Oh, by the way..." Brendan grinned and slung an arm over Paul's shoulder, pulling him into a weird half hug. "You look  _really_ cute with a smile!"

Paul gave the tan boy a shocked expression. "Personal space..." he repeated.

"Aw, come on!" Brendan whined playfully, still grinning and now beginning to poke his cheek. "You do! Please tell me you and Red are dating."

_I wish!_ "Not even close."

"HA! Trust me, dude, I think she's head-over-heels for you." Paul eyed him curiously. "What? You're  _exactly_ what she's looking for, guarantee! And with your looks, your charm..." Brendan gave him a sly grin and half lidded eyes. "And your cute A.F. smile."

"Alright, Mister Rainbow, I've heard enough." Paul then literally shoved him aside and continued to walk. What he missed was Brendan whispering to the owner of the garden stall, who was watering her plants. The woman gave him the hose, and with an evil grin, the Hoenn native slightly blocked the entrance of the hose, allowing him to spray the water right at Paul's back and soaking his jacket and even his shirt. Paul whipped around, furious. "BRENDAN!" he roared, and the black haired boy took off, laughing as Paul chased after him. But as mad as he was (or thought he was), Paul couldn't help but get the feeling of a laugh wanting to burst out of his throat.

It seemed even Haley's friends had a way of crawling into his heart as well.

...

Haley stared at the sparkling blue ocean, looking so calm and happy, unlike herself. She was sitting up on a hill that soon turned into a cliff and wasn't too far from the city. Times like these were the only times she would ever (willingly) put herself so close to a high place. The salty sea breeze slowly but surely calmed her down, and staring at the ocean - which would always become hypnotizing - allowed her to reflect on whatever stupid decisions she had made or anything stupid she had said.

And boy did she have a lot to think about.

How much of an idiot could possibly be, insulting a Gym Leader like that? Did she not learn from Norman? Even if it wasn't fair for him to stop battling because he was bored, that was no excuse for her to say the things she had. And even  _then_ , that didn't excuse the fact that she lost, and lost so poorly, too. Not only did she seem all bark and no bite, but she let her Pokémon down as well.

All of who were sitting behind her a few feet away, having reflections of their own.

Staraptor and Empoleon, having not participated in the battle, were instead trying to think of a way to cheer the others up and coming up with nothing. Torterra had his eyes closed, seemingly calm but in truth was absolutely fuming about his two-hit loss to Electivire. Luxray had mixed feelings, not sure if she should be happy for her brother since he was with a new, better Trainer or furious about losing and - more importantly - not listening to his advice. Umbreon just sort of hung around, occasionally flipping upside down so that the world was flipped and thought about how much faster and more powerful Jolteon was. And Infernape...

Infernape was  _enraged_.

He couldn't believe for even a  _second_ that he had lost to a Raichu. A  _Raichu_. Who cared if he was clearly the leader of the team, it was no excuse, he was stronger than that! He had been pacing back and forth for pretty much the entire time they had been up on the hill, and when the two-hour mark was ten minutes away from striking, Luxray finally had enough of seeing it. She fired a Thunderbolt, which hit him directly, stopping him in his tracks and shocking him. He spun around, anger flaring in his eyes. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm so sick and tired of seeing you pace back and forth trying to create a trench!" she snapped, jumping to her paws.

"Oh, as if you haven't been sulking about your loss to your brother!" Infernape shot back. He scoffed. "Which, might I add, your performance was  _abysmal_!"

Luxray's eyes went wide before they narrowed and she growled. "Like you did any better!" she countered. "Losing to Raichu in such a way...you're pathetic."

Infernape growled, and soon they were nose-to-nose in anger. Umbreon, seeing this and noticing Haley was still in her own world, flipped right side up and ran up to them. "Hold on, guys, you shouldn't be fighting over this," she intervened. "We have to-"

"Oh shut up!" Luxray barked. "Don't act like you have some sort of superiority! You did even worse than Dipshit did! You might as well have been a Sunkern!"

Now Umbreon was angry. "As if either of you did any better!" she shouted. "I probably lasted the longest!"

All three of Haley's Pokémon glared and growled at each other, and Torterra got up, sighing. "Come on, you three, this is stupid," he commented. Six angry eyes were now on him.

"Oh look, the walking, talking tree is going to preach to us," Infernape mocked.

"As if he thinks he did any better than us," Umbreon grumbled.

"Forget a Sunkern,  _he's_ the one who's useless," Luxray scoffed.

Torterra snarled and then stomped the ground, surprising everyone. "Look, I'm sorry I'm not as nimble and graceful as all of you!" he yelled. "And it's not like we could have known about Ice Punch and Fire Punch! What, are we going to start blaming Haley for all of this?! Are we going to add her into this, too?!"

The other three looked at him, just staring. "Maybe you should," a small voice piped up. Everyone turned to find Haley still hugging her knees.

Everyone stared at her back and then at the ground. Normally, Umbreon would counter to her Trainer's self-putdown, but the entire team seemed to be in a pity party. "Empoleon...what are we going to do?" Staraptor whispered.

"Haley's the one who knows how to cheer everyone up, not me," he noted sadly. The two watched the other five be in their states of melancholy, wishing there was something they could do.

"Huh, I never would have expected a cliff to be your comfort place," a new voice commented. Everyone, except Haley, turned to the voice and was surprised.

"Paul." His name from her Pokémon finally got Haley to lift her head and look, and she was surprised by who she saw.

"Brendan?" she questioned as she rose to her feet.

Said boy grinned and waved from behind Paul, who had his hands in his pockets and was staring at Haley. "So, you done with your pointless pity party?" the purple haired Trainer asked.

"Pointless?" Haley repeated, sounding offended.

"Yes," Paul replied. He walked up to her and stopped within half a foot from her. "I'm going to be completely blunt, Haley: you're being a hypocrite right now." Haley looked even more offended. "You told me in Snowpoint City that I shouldn't let one loss drag me down, and then you listed all of the battles you lost. Now let me ask: have any of them stopped you?"

"No," she answered. "But-"

"But what?" Paul interrupted, narrowing his eyes. "The battle was short? You overreacted? Got too angry? Have any more excuses? Because in the end, that's what they are: excuses. So, we're going to try this again: have you let any of the battles you've lost before stop you?"

Haley's features softened. "No," she restated, this time with a tone of shame.

"Exactly. You're taking this loss to a level it doesn't need to go to." Paul eyed her Pokémon, specifically the four who had participated. "And so are you." They hung their heads in shame. "So let me ask another question: why are the five of you sitting here blaming yourselves and each other when you could be using that time to figure out a way to beat Volkner?" The team looked at Paul. "If you're really that angry and that upset, turn it into determination and focus all of that on defeating him."

The five continued to stare at him, and then they looked at each other. "He's right, and we're here to help how ever we can!" Brendan piped up.

A silence fell over the cliff as the team continued to stare at each other. Suddenly Torterra smirked, and it became contagious. Umbreon followed the Continent Pokémon, and Luxray quickly followed her female comrade. Infernape took it a step farther when he grew a smirking grin, and soon his Trainer copied her Pokémon's actions.

"Well guys," she began, "ready to show Volkner that we mean what we say and say what we mean?"

"Yeah!" they cheered.

Brendan held out his fist, and Paul rolled his eyes but fist bumped away. "Good, because we already booked you for three days from now," Brendan revealed.

"We can go tomorrow," Haley told him.

"Trust me, we would have scheduled that, but someone beat us to the punch," Paul informed. "Volkner's quite popular since he reopened the Gym, remember?"

She chuckled. "Guess you have a point," the girl stated. She didn't look down, though. "But that just means we have two full days to train and figure out a plan. You guys ready?"

"That damn Raichu won't know what hit him," Infernape sneered.

"My brother won't beat me again," Luxray promised.

"Jolteon may be faster, but I'll show him how much experience I have," Umbreon voiced.

"I won't let Electivire catch me off guard this time," Torterra guaranteed.

Haley smiled. "Then let's do our best!" she exclaimed. All six of her Pokémon and Brendan cheered in agreement, and Paul smirked.

Mission Accomplished.

...

"By the way," Haley piped up after she swallowed her bite of chow mien, "what are you doing here, Brendan?"

A string of cheese from his pizza hung out of his mouth, and he flung his head back so he could catch it in his mouth. "Your manners are atrocious," Paul grumbled.

Brendan grinned. "Come on, Red, I've been coming to every one of Elite Four Runs," he reminded. "You think I wouldn't show up to this one? Besides, I've been meaning to explore Sunyshore City for a while." Haley smiled, and then they noticed Nurse Joy walk up to their table with three trays in hand.

"Your Pokémon are all healed up and ready to go," she informed as she set the trays of Poké Balls down.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Haley and Brendan exclaimed, and Paul nodded.

Nurse Joy smiled. "You know, I got a call from Volkner right before you three came in," she reported. "He says he really enjoyed your battle today," well,  _that_ was a surprise, "but he can't wait to see the progress you've made."

"He won't be disappointed!" Haley assured, not letting the Gym Leader's comment inflate or deflate her ego.

The woman smiled bigger. "That's good to hear," she stated before waving and heading back to the front desk.

"Do you know where Brandi is?" Haley asked her gay best friend.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied, shrugging. "I called her three days ago to try and get her to come with me, but she seemed really frazzled. Long shot, but maybe the Johto Grand Festival hasn't happened yet. You know how she gets."

Haley nodded. "So, early rise tomorrow?" she suggested.

"We're training for a Gym Battle, Red, not the E.F.R. just yet," Brendan reminded.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Haley sighed. "Cynthia is going to be a pain to train for."

"That's what you said about Steven," the Birch boy brought up. "If I recall, you ended that battle with half of your team still standing, and they were standing in damn good condition."

Paul calmly ate his dinner. "What, you have something to say?" Haley grumbled.

"Nothing much," he responded with a straight face. "Except how Garchomp utterly demolished Sceptile in a rather short amount of time."

" _Paul_!"

"Wait, Sceptile got  _demolished_?" Brendan questioned, surprised.

"No he didn't!" Paul chuckled at her snapping. "Oh shut up! Like you did any better!"

"Never said I did." Haley looked like she wanted to scream.

Brendan laughed. "Wow, Red, I only ever thought Leaf would get this angry at a guy," he teased.

Her face was already flushed red with anger, but now there was a tinge of embarrassment as well. "Brendan, I know what you mean by that, and it's not funny," she hissed.

The Veilstone Trainer didn't understand. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Now all of the anger was gone, completely replaced by embarrassment. "Nothing, absolutely nothing!" she denied.

Again Brendan laughed. "It means she's-"

" _You_ have said enough, mister!" Haley interrupted. "Now, we should all go to bed. I want to make sure I'm awake during training." The Birch boy snickered, knowing she was not only desperately trying to change the subject but also making sure the two males weren't left alone. He decided to comply as he and Haley grabbed their empty dishes and went to put them in the wash bin.

Still confused, Paul followed them, but he pushed the thought out of his mind. There were more important and non-confusing things to think about, and he smirked.

When Haley battled Volkner next time, she wasn't going to let the badge slip away from her. She would win.


	42. Second Time Around

"The Sunyshore Gym Battle between Volkner - the Gym Leader - and Haley - the challenger - will now begin," TEC announced once more. "It will be a four-on-four battle, and the battle will be over when all four Pokémon on either side are unable to continue. Furthermore, only the challenger is able to substitute Pokémon." Haley accepted the fact that she had to use the normal rules. "Battle begin!"

"Umbreon, battle stance!" Haley shouted.

"Jolteon, let's go!" Volkner exclaimed.

Once again both of the Eeveelutions appeared on the field, ready to fight. "Alright, Haley and Umbreon, you can do it!" Brendan encouraged. Haley gave a thumbs-up, and Umbreon nodded. "Though he's admittedly kind of cute," the teen whispered to Paul. The purple haired Trainer rolled his eyes.

"Haley, you may have the first move," the Gym Leader offered.

"Very well," his challenger accepted. "Umbreon, use Faint Attack!" Just like before, the Moonlight Pokémon vanished as she began to jump around the field.

Volkner smirked. "If you think using that move will work this time you're sorely mistaken," he warned. "Jolteon, use Quick Attack!" His Pokémon disappeared as well, and the two jumped around waiting for the time to strike. And once again, Jolteon's superior speed shined through, allowing him to send Umbreon flying back. "Now use Pin Missile!"

"Catch them with Psychic, Umbreon!" Haley ordered. While Umbreon was recovering, she made her eyes glow blue, stopping the needles from hitting her, but she didn't get the chance to relax. "Brace yourself; he's coming from the left!" The Dark type hardened herself milliseconds before Jolteon rammed into her, sending her towards the white chalk line. "Don't give up! Use Dark Pulse!" Umbreon opened her mouth and unleashed a beam of black and purple circles.

"Counter with Thunderbolt!" Volkner commanded. The powerful bolt of electricity shot forward, and once again the two Pokémon were in a struggle between the projectiles. Soon Volkner clicked his tongue twice, and Jolteon shot forward with Quick Attack. But right before he made contact with the Moonlight Pokémon, he flew back and landed on the ground, a dust cloud appearing around Umbreon. "What? How did that happen?"

Haley smirked a little, and soon the dust cleared up. Volkner's eyes went wide. Umbreon's eyes were glowing blue, and circling around her were multiple mini Shadow Balls. "Let me introduce you to Umbreon's Shadow Ball shield," she revealed. "You can't hit Umbreon if Jolteon runs the risk of getting hit in the process."

XXX

_"The thing with Volkner is that he likes to attack while another attack is already underway," Paul reminded to the team. "He uses his Pokémon's speed to the upmost advantage. So the trick is to stop him in his tracks."_

_Brendan started thinking hard. "Which means you can either destroy the field or somehow create a barrier to damage him when he tried to attack you head on," he offered._

_Haley nodded. "Well, Umbreon and Infernape can," she stated. "And Luxray can, too, though I don't know how effective it'll be."_

_"It's at least good to keep it in mind," Brendan advised._

XXX

"Well played," Volkner admitted. "Well played indeed. But how long can you keep it up? Jolteon, jump up and use Pin Missile!"

The Electric type did as he was ordered, but as he opened his mouth, Umbreon looked up and smirked before firing the remaining Shadow Balls. With nowhere to go, the Lightning Pokémon was forced to take all of the attack. He crashed to the ground, and Volkner grunted.

"Alright, Umbreon, now use Faint Attack!" Haley ordered. Her Pokémon disappeared and ran towards her opponent.

"Get up and use Quick Attack again!" Jolteon quickly got to his feet and raced around, disappearing as well. But this time, the Electric type had taken damage, so he was considerably slower than Umbreon. She slammed into him, and Jolteon flew back.

"Dark Pulse one more time!" the black haired Trainer shouted. Umbreon gathered as much energy as she could and then she fired the attack, and it hit her opponent head on. He struggled to fight it, but Jolteon couldn't hold on any longer, and he slammed into the wall, spirals in his eyes when he landed on the ground.

"Jolteon is unable to battle, Umbreon is the winner!" TEC announced.

Haley, Umbreon, and Brendan cheered, and Paul let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding. Meanwhile Volkner huffed but smiled. "Jolteon, return," he called out, pulling out his Poké Ball and recalling his fallen Pokémon. He looked at his challenger. "Excellent job, Haley. I knew you had it in you." He swapped Poké Balls and held out the new one. "But don't think this is over, not by a long shot. Electivire, let's go!"

His opponent stared the Electric type down, and then she held out Umbreon's Poké Ball. "Umbreon, return!" The Moonlight Pokémon was beamed back in, and Haley smiled at the ball in her hand before swapping it with a new one. "Alright, Torterra, battle stance!"

The Grass-Ground type took the field and roar before scowling at Electivire, who responded with a smirk.

"Torterra, remember, keep calm," Haley advised, noticing his uncharacteristic scowl. The Continent Pokémon breathed out and then turned his head to look at her.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," the Grass-Ground type promised. "We'll win this time."

Haley nodded, and then she looked at the Gym Leader. "Volkner, I'll let you attack first this time," she stated.

Volkner smirked. "You're up to something," he deduced. "But sure, I'll take the bait. Electivire, use Ice Punch!" Electivire made his fist an icy blue and ran towards his opponent.

_Earthquake would be risky right now,_ Haley thought, remembering her talk with her friends. _Electivire would see Torterra winding up and jump like last time, and Torterra wouldn't have time to defend._ But then again... "Here he comes!" she warned. Torterra braced himself as he readied for his next move. Meanwhile, Electivire was closing in. _Wait for it...wait for it..._ "Now, Torterra, Giga Drain!" Green vine-like energy beams quickly whipped out of the mountains on Torterra's back and tightened themselves around Electivire's ankle, making the Electric type crash onto the floor. The Gym Leader grunted.

"So that was your plan, huh?" he realized.

"Something like that," Haley replied.

XXX

_"The only one who can't create any sort of shield is Torterra," Haley stated._

_"Luckily, Electivire is the one more about power than speed," the Veilstone Trainer brought up. "For him, it's about being defensive and then hitting hard. You just need to catch him at the right time. I think you had a good idea going with Giga Drain, but you and Torterra were unfocused, so your reaction time was too slow."_

_"Which only means that they need to have clear heads, and this time they will!" Brendan assured. Torterra nodded in agreement._

XXX

"You and your friends must have done some serious training these past three days," Volkner commented.

"We haven't even begun to show you the extent of it," Haley stated. "Show 'em, Torterra!" Her Pokémon tightened the vines around Electivire's ankle and flung the Electric type back. "Use Seed Bomb!" Torterra opened his mouth and fired the seeds at his opponent, who was just starting to get to his feet. "Now, Earthquake!" Torterra quickly stomped on the ground, causing it to shake violently.

"Electivire, don't give up!" the Gym Leader encouraged. "Use Ice Punch again!" Like before the Thunderbolt Pokémon jumped into the air and made his fist blue as he flew towards the Grass-Ground type. Torterra braced himself, taking the punch head-on and flinching from the cold. But before Volkner could call for a Fire Punch, the energy vines whipped out again and wrapped themselves around Electivire, pining both of his arms to his sides. "What-"

Haley smirked a little bigger than before. "You think I'd let Torterra get caught off guard by that combo again?" she questioned. "Now, heal yourself up, buddy!"

"Break free!" Volkner ordered. But the vines draining his energy made it hard to struggle.

And when he finally managed to get one of his arms free, the opposing team had something else in store.

"Seed Bomb again!" Haley commanded. Instantly more seeds flew out of Torterra's mouth, and Electivire took the full force of the attack. The vines disappeared, and Electivire slumped to the floor with swirls in his eyes.

"Electivire is unable to battle, Torterra is the winner!"

Once again there was a round of cheers, and Paul smiled. "Man, she's doing great!" Brendan exclaimed.

"She just needs to keep a level head and that badge is as good as hers," Paul stated.

"Return, Electivire," Volkner called out, recalling his Pokémon to the Poké Ball. He again smiled at Haley. "So this is the Trainer the Sinnoh Elite Four is getting excited over. Glad I finally got to see her."

"I'm glad, too," Haley replied as she returned Torterra. "Last time was extremely childish and uncharacteristic of me. But this time, I'm not going to let my emotions control me. I'm giving it my all, and I'm taking the Beacon Badge with me!"

Volkner smiled and nodded. "That's the right attitude," he stated. "And you guys are tough, but we can match it."

"Let's do it!" Haley challenged. "Lux, battle stance!"

"Luxray, let's go!"

Both of the Gleam Eyes Pokémon appeared on the field, ready to battle each other once more. This time, Lux had a much more predatorily and determined glint in her eyes. In ways she looked like she was about to go out on a hunt. And while her brother did give a slight flinch under the gaze, he didn't show signs of backing down. They circled around each other, watching and waiting for the other to make a move. Their Trainers waited as well, wondering who would call a command and what it would be.

Then there was a snapping sound, and Volkner's Luxray took his eyes away from his sister just for a second to find out where the sound came from. But Lux knew what it meant, and she put power into her legs before springing towards her opponent.

"Luxray, Double Team!" Volkner ordered quickly. In a second there were multiple Luxray clones, and the real one had disappeared into the crowd.

But Haley had a plan.

"Lux, use Thunderbolt!" she commanded. The Electric type jumped back and then went onto her back before she began to spin, and the Thunderbolt spilt off into multiple smaller ones that took out all of the clones and even hit the real Luxray, who had tried to sneak up on Lux from behind.

Of course, the Gym Leader was surprised by the movie. "What in the-"

"What is that?" Brendan asked with wonder.

Paul smirked. He remembered the name Ash had given it, and he wasn't going to forget anytime soon.

XXX

_"Counter Shield."_

_Haley was snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Paul. Brendan had taken Umbreon and Torterra to work on their training. "What?"_

_"That's what Ash called it, right?" Paul remembered. "The thing he did at Lake Acuity and what you did at the Soldaster Contest."_

_"Yeah," she stated. "What about it?"_

_"That's what you're planning on using with Infernape and Luxray, right?"_

_She stood up. "Something like that," she said._

_"You know, I've been thinking about it for a while," Paul admitted. "I was wondering about if maybe a Pokémon could do it without having to spin."_

_"Wait, hold up. You're thinking about Ash's technique and_ _**not** _ _calling it pathetic?" Haley questioned._

_Paul turned to her, ready to retort, when he noticed the playful look in her eye. He smiled as he playfully shoved her. "Whatever," he huffed. Haley giggled. "But using a move for both offensive and defensive purposes at the same, it's actually quite clever. I was thinking that for some Pokémon, though, it would be hard for them to spin or that they might be in vulnerable positions. Like Luxray. Volkner could probably find an opening, and Luxray won't have the ability to defend."_

_His friend smiled. "I know," she informed. "I've been thinking too, you know, and I have an idea." She walked over to his side and whispered into his ear, "Think you can wait one more day, tough guy?"_

_Trying his best not to blush or stutter, he smirked and replied, "I think I can."_

XXX

Now it was time to see what she had in mind.

Just as Paul predicted, Volkner found an opening and had Luxray jump in between bolts at just the right time. Though, as the male flew towards Lux, Haley shouted, "Roll out of the way and use Ice Fang!" Her Pokémon cancelled her attack and rolled over just as Luxray landed where she had once been. Lux then immediately clasped her icy blue fangs onto Luxray's right leg, and he growled in pain.

"Nice job, Lux!" Brendan exclaimed. Paul nodded.

"Yes, I will admit that was well thought out," Volkner complimented. "But my Luxray and I are going to make sparks fly. Luxray, Iron Tail!" The Gleam Eyes Pokémon made his tail glow silver, and he tried to slam it down on his opponent. But Lux released her fangs from his leg and rolled out of the way of his tail.

"Now use Iron Tail!" Haley ordered. Lux made her own tail silver and ran towards the other Electric type.

Volkner thought quickly. "Shock Wave!" he commanded. His Pokémon made a light blue ball of electricity above his head, and then he fired a light blue beam of electricity from it.

Since there was no way to dodge the attack, Lux stopped and braced herself. She took all of the attack, and shook herself out once it was done, only to take a Thunder Fang to the back. Lux hissed and flipped over to dislodge him before jumping back to get away from Luxray. She growled a bit, and the siblings began to circle each other again.

"You know, there's been something I wanted to say," Volkner stated.

"What's that?" Haley asked.

"That maneuver you did with Thunderbolt... Did Ash Ketchum have anything to do with it?" he questioned.

Haley didn't bat an eye at the mention of the Pallet Town Trainer's name. "You can thank him for teaching me about it," she answered. "Did he use Counter Shield against you?"

"No, but it seemed like him," Volkner replied. He smiled. "He's an interesting Trainer, to say the least. Ash is who gave me my battling spark back." Then the Gym Leader eyed Paul. "Whoever he goes up against in the Sinnoh League is going to have a run their money."

Paul definitely agreed, but there was no way he'd go down without one hell of a fight.

"Of course, that isn't to say this battle hasn't been fun," the blond haired man continued. "It's too bad that right now we seem to be at an impasse."

"We do," his challenger agreed. "Luckily, I prepared for an event like this."

"Then don't let me stop you," Volkner insisted.

"Ready, Lux?" Haley inquired.

Her Pokémon nodded, and then looked at her and smirked. "Though I'm not exactly enthusiastic about it," Lux commented.

"I know," the black haired Trainer chuckled. "Alright, Lux, return!" Everyone was surprised by the action, and they watched as the Electric type was recalled with Umbreon taking her place. "Now, use Faint Attack!" Umbreon disappeared and then slammed into Luxray's side, sending him tumbling back. "Dark Pulse!" The Dark type move zoomed towards Luxray and hit him dead on.

When the dust cleared, everyone could see the swirls in Luxray's eyes.

"Luxray is unable to battle, Umbreon is the winner!"

The Gym Leader stared at his fallen Pokémon in disbelief before he smiled and sighed. "Luxray, return." He pulled out the Electric type's Poké Ball and beamed him back in. "Well, well, well. That was certainly unexpected," he noted.

"Originally I wanted my Pokémon to beat the ones who took them down," Haley explained. "But I realized that Lux wouldn't be able to take down your Luxray easily. And it was clear even when he was bitten on the leg he had excellent mobility. So I had Umbreon as a backup just in case Luxray was still mobile." She smirked. "You have no idea how annoyed Lux was. It took us almost half a day to calm her down."

Volkner laughed. "She definitely sounds like my old Luxray," he stated. "Poor girl; she lived a long, good life." He shook his head. "Sorry, let's move on, shall we?"

"Yeah," Haley agreed, and she returned Umbreon to her Poké Ball."

"Here it comes," Volkner said as he brought out Raichu's Poké Ball. "Get ready for my trump card. Raichu, let's go!"

Haley took a deep breath as the Mouse Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. "This is it," she whispered. "Just this last Pokémon, and then we're off to the Run. We can do this." She gripped Infernape's Poké Ball. "Alright, Infernape, battle stance!"

There was no backing down, no giving up now.

...

Orange slip-on sneakers hit the pavement hard as she sprinted through the city, heading towards the northwest part. She _had_ to make it to the Gym; her bestie was battling for her final badge, and she _had_ to be there to cheer her on. It hurt her that she was so late, but she had been busy with the Johto Grand Festival.

Thankfully, though, it was finally over, and it gave her the free time to watch yet another amazing Elite Four Run.

Suddenly her red curly hair got into her copper eyes, and she tried her best to blow it off her face, but while she was distracted by that, she ran into someone. Both of them tumbled onto the sidewalk, and she felt yet another scrape appear on her face. _Oh, not another bandage!_ she cried. _Brendan's gonna make fun of me again!_

"Miss, are you all right?" someone asked. The Coordinator was snapped out of her thoughts, and she looked up to find the person she had run into had already gotten up and was offering a hand. He had short side-swept light purple-almost-blond-hair and grey eyes, and he was wearing a long orange sleeve sweater with a red scarf wrapped around his neck, gray jeans, and brown dress shoes, and around his shoulder he had a leather bag with book poking out. She blinked, thinking that he was kind of cute, before she remembered what she was doing.

"Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed, almost getting up by herself, but before she stood up she realized his hand was still there, and she took it. The teen pulled her up, and the Coordinator brushed off her knees, noticing that they too had scrapes. She whined. Well, at least her new black shin-high socks weren't ruined. "Thank you, by the way. Sorry I ran into you. I didn't mean it."

"It's okay," the male assured. "You don't have to apologize."

"Oh!" She smiled. "I'm sorry." He sighed inwardly. Today was _not_ a good day for this; school had been so _draining_. "Hey, do you know where the Gym is?"

"The Gym?" he repeated, taken back a bit by her sudden bubbly nature. "Yeah, it's not too much farther down the road here. You can't miss."

"Great!" she cried, and he jumped a little, but she didn't seem to take notice. Then she dashed off. "I've gotta make it to Haley's battle!"

"Haley? As in, Haley Sedai?" the teen called after her.

She looked back as she continued to run. "Yeah!" she answered.

"Tell her and a guy named Paul that Trey says hi!" he told her. The Coordinator grinned as confirmation. "Oh, and be-" She almost tripped, cutting him off, and making Trey flinch. Luckily, she didn't fall this time. "Be careful!"

The clumsy Coordinator laughed. "Of course!" she promised. "Sorry!"

"There's no-" But before he could finish she began running at full speed again. Trey watched her go and sighed. "Weird girl," he commented.

Meanwhile, the red haired girl finally made it to the Gym, and she burst into the facility, leaning against the counter in the lobby and panting. "I'm sorry," a robotic voice said. "If you are here for a Gym Battle, Volkner is unavailable today as there is a battle already underway."

"It's still going?" the Trainer questioned, excited.

"Yes, between the Gym Leader and Haley Sedai of Saffron City," the voice from the speaker explained.

"Awesome, I'm not late!" she cheered. "Which way to the bleachers?"

"Second door on the left in the hallway," the voice informed.

"Thank you!" She ran to the door and made her way to the top of the bleachers, watching as Infernape connected its Mach Punch with Raichu's Iron Tail. She stopped and leaned against the railing, watching with interest.

"Infernape, Flame Wheel!" Haley ordered, and her Pokémon created a wheel of fire, slamming right into the Electric type and sending it flying back. "Now, Flamethrower!"

"Counter with Thunderbolt!" the man, who she assumed to be Volkner, commanded. The projectiles collided and after a few seconds cancelled each other out. Volkner smirked. "You've gotten stronger," he stated. "But if we keep going like this, you won't be winning anytime soon. Are you going to switch out like last time?"

Haley shook her head. "Infernape can beat Raichu, I guarantee!" she replied.

"Very well," Volkner stated. "Raichu, use Focus Blast!" Raichu brought its paws close together and created a blue ball of energy and threw it towards Haley's Pokémon.

"Dodge it, Infernape!" The ape jumped out of the way, only to be in the line of a Volt Tackle. It flew back, hitting the ground twice before it flipped onto its feet and skidded to a stop. Haley scowled, but then she shook her head and exhaled. _Yeah, come on Red, you can do this!_ the Coordinator cheered. "Mach Punch!" Infernape made its fist glow white, and then it sprang forward at blinding speeds. Raichu, though, was able to jump into the air and dodge it.

"Thunderbolt!" Volkner shouted. His Electric type released the bolt of lightning, and Infernape back flipped out of the way. But Raichu wouldn't give it a break and kept firing, forcing Infernape to just dodge.

Again Haley scowled, but once more she shook her head to clear it. "Flamethrower again!" she yelled.

But instead of firing normally, Infernape got onto its back and began to spin, creating something like a shield. The Coordinator in the bleachers gasped in excitement. "That's so cool!" she whispered in awe. "I wonder if she can teach Flareon and I that! It would be super dazzling!"

Infernape stopped its attack and was on its feet, and when Raichu landed back on the ground the two stared each other down. They both looked tired, but Infernape especially so, and it didn't look happy about that at all. "Rai, Rai-Rai Chu," the Electric type said, and whatever it was got under Haley and Infernape's skin. The Coordinator gasped; she knew what happened when Haley lost her cool, and if she did so now it could be all over.

So she took a very deep breath.

...

"HALEY, DON'T GIVE UP!" a very familiar voice encouraged. "YOU CAN DO IT!"

Haley stopped inwardly seething, and looked to the top of the bleachers to find exactly who she thought she had heard: a girl with long curly red hair with sparkling copper eyes with bandages all over her body wearing a white necklace with pink beads, a pink sleeveless vest, a gray tank top sport dress with black bike shorts, an orange shoulder bag, shin-high black socks, and orange slip-on sneakers. Of course, there was her infectious grin and bubbly attitude, and Haley couldn't help but smile in determination.

"Yeah!" she agreed. "Thanks, Brandi!" She could question exactly how her best friend got there later.

Right now she had a badge to win.

"Infernape, I know we've been at this for a while, but we can win," she told her tired Fire type. "Don't give into your anger, alright?"

The Flame Pokémon breathed out, stood up straight, and rotated his shoulders. "Yeah, you're right," he stated. "Sorry about that. I'm good now." He chuckled and punched his fists together. "Let's do this!"

"Absolutely!" Haley cried.

"Now that's the spirit," Volkner commented. "Raichu, use Iron Tail!" His Electric type made his tail silver, and he jumped towards Infernape.

"Counter with Mach Punch again!" The moves collided again, but this time Infernape's arms weren't crossed, making his right hand free. "Use Shadow Claw!" A purple ghostly claw appeared around his fist, and he swiped at the Mouse Pokémon, sending him back. "Don't let up! Use Mach Punch and Shadow Claw back to back!"

Infernape was relentless, alternating between Mach Punch on his left fist and Shadow Claw on his right. But Raichu and his Trainer weren't about to give up, either. "Volt Tackle!" Volkner ordered, and Raichu found a spilt second opening to strike Infernape in the stomach and send him back. "Now use Thunderbolt!"

"Flamethrower!" The Fire-Fighting type barely stabled himself on his feet before firing a counterattack on the yellow bolt. Once again the two projectiles were in a struggle, and neither side had intentions of letting up anytime soon.

Paul clenched the railing tightly. "Come on, Infernape, you've got this, dude!" Brendan shouted.

"Haley, that badge is as good as yours and you know it!" Brandi added, having joined up with the two boys.

_I know, but what am I supposed to do?_ Haley thought, her mind in overdrive. If she didn't act fast, Raichu would do the same thing as last time and out speed his own attack with Volt Tackle and-

Wait...

Suddenly Haley narrowed her eyes in pure determination. Volkner seemed interested in what that meant, and her friends all held their breath. "Infernape!" He gave no signs of showing he heard, but Haley knew she did. Then she clicked her tongue twice, and his eyes went wide in understanding before he made his right fist glow white.

Volkner realized too late that his own trick was being used against him.

At blinding speeds, Infernape rushed underneath the projectiles and pummeled Raichu in the stomach, sending him flying into the air. The Flame Pokémon followed with a powerful jump, and for the final hit, he used Flame Wheel and slammed right into the Electric type's back. Raichu crashed into the floor, and Infernape landed gracefully, getting inflicted with paralysis thanks to Static.

And with how Raichu was somehow getting back to his feet, that status effect might have proved to be dangerous.

But then Raichu smiled tiredly at the challengers. "Congratulations," he said weakly. "Go show that spark at the Run for me, alright?"

Then he flopped back down, fainted.

"Raichu is unable to battle, Infernape is the winner!" TEC announced. "Which means the victory goes to Haley of Saffron City!"

It didn't quite soak in right away, but as soon as it did, Haley and Infernape stared at each other, beaming beyond description. At the same time, the rest of Haley's team released themselves, grinning ear to ear as well. The victor looked around at her team, and ecstatically she cheered, "WE DID IT! WE'RE GOING TO THE SINNOH ELITE FOUR RUN!"

There was a similar overjoyed cry from the team of six, and as they laughed and cheered about their hard work, Brendan and Brandi danced around, chanting, "She did it, she did it, she did it!"

Paul exhaled deeply. "Finally," he sighed.

"Ah, come on, man, you can be more enthusiastic than that!" Brendan told him, ruffling his hair.

"Alright, alright, just give me personal space," Paul couldn't help but chuckle as he tried to bat Brendan's hands away.

"Hey, let's go already!" Brandi suddenly exclaimed, jumping into the row behind them and then grabbing Paul's arm. "We have to go see Haley!" Even if he wanted to protest, Paul wasn't given a chance as Haley's bubbly friend yanked him along, with Brendan following behind them and chuckling.

Meanwhile, Volkner smiled brightly and recalled his fallen Pokémon. "Great job," he whispered to the Poké Ball. Then, after fishing a Beacon Badge out of his pocket, he walked up to the victor, who had her three friends by her side congratulating her. "Haley, that was an amazing battle," he complimented. "Your toughness is something else. I'm excited to know you and your team will keep battling to greater heights. Now, take the Beacon Badge. You definitely earned this."

Haley took the Beacon Badge, and her team stared at it for a very long time. Then they looked at the Gym Leader and bowed their heads. "Thank you," they all said.

"Hey, thank _you_ guys for a fun battle," Volkner replied. "And thank you for waiting as well. I really am sorry about that." Then he looked at Paul. "Speaking of apologies, I should give one to you as well. I know you're a strong Trainer, and I have no doubt that would be a fun battle, too. But the rest of the days before the Sinnoh League are booked, and I doubt you'd want to miss an exciting League just for a battle with me."

"Maybe I'll come back another day," Paul compromised.

Volkner smiled. "I look forward to the day," he stated. "Good luck in the League, Paul. And good luck to you in the Run, Haley."

"Thank you," both Trainer responded, and after Haley returned her Pokémon, all four teen waved goodbye before they walked out of the Gym and on their way to the Pokémon Center.

Or...at least that _was_ the original intention.

Plans were foiled when Paul learned exactly what happened when best friends met back up.

"IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU!" the two girls suddenly squealed and hugged each other tightly. Paul was caught completely off guard and almost fell onto the ground.

"Do they do this every time?" he whispered to Brendan.

He snickered. "Yeah," he answered as the two best friends began to converse, completely forgetting about their male companions. "Hey, you want to know how to make Haley girly?" Paul raised an eyebrow, not sure where Brendan was going. "Take a Brandi, put in a city, add a couple hours, and _BAM_! Instant girly."

"So, where does that leave us?" Paul inquired, noticing that Haley was completely happy following the recipe.

"Wherever we want to be," Brendan assured. "Though, if we want to have our sanity in tack, we might want to take Haley's Pokémon and go to the Pokémon Center. Then we can find something else to do."

"As long as it's not staring at other men all day." Paul smirked as Brendan gave him an unamused look.

"You're Paul, right?" Brandi suddenly cut in as she jumped in front of the Veilstone Trainer.

There was a bit of a pause before Paul spoke as he tried to recover from the random outburst. "Yeah, that's me," he replied.

Brandi gasped as she realized her mistake. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized.

Paul couldn't help but chuckle a bit and smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Haley put on a surprised face, and...was that a bit of hurt, too? No way, he was seeing things. He shook the thought out of his mind and continued. "There's no need to apologize," he pointed out. "You caught me off guard, sure, but it's nothing to worry about."

"Right, I'm sorry."

She was one of _those_ people, huh?

"Haley, we need to restart our years of therapy sessions," Brendan sighed.

"Seriously, Brandi, you know you don't have to apologize for _everything_ ," Haley told her.

"Right- uh, right!" Haley beamed at her friend's successful attempt.

"Alright, now that we have that settled, how about we take your Pokémon, Haley, and you two can do whatever you please," Brendan suggested.

The girls looked at each other, and after a few seconds they smiled. "Shopping time?" Brandi asked.

"Shopping time," Haley agreed.

"SHOPPING TIME!" they both sang, and Paul was once again caught off guard, causing him to jump a bit. Then Haley gave Brendan her belt. "We'll see you guys later!" And with that they took off to do whatever.

All Paul could do was stare at them in complete disbelief.

"You're welcome," Brendan stated. "Now, let's get this winning team their well-deserved rest and then find something for us to do!"

Paul snapped out of his disbelief and smirked at the black haired teen. "And remember-"

"Oh, just shut _up_ already!" Paul found himself laughing.


	43. Beach Day

"Are you sure about this one?" Haley asked as she showed off the sky blue floral patterned sundress she was trying on.

"Even better than the last one!" Brandi assured. "You never give yourself enough credit, Haley; blue looks good on you, trust me!" Then she eyed the identical green sundress. "Green, though? Not so much."

"If you say so," she replied. She closed the curtain of the changing room. "But that's why I trust fashion to you and not me. Sometimes I feel like I don't know shorts from pants."

"That isn't true," her friend argued. "You know the basics, and that's all anyone ever needs to know on a day-to-day basis." Suddenly she had an idea. "Oo, hold on, stay right there! I think I have another good dress for you!" Brandi ran off and quickly came back with a strapless light purple sundress with spiral patterns towards the bottom. She stuck her hand into the room. "Here, take this one!"

Haley took it from her and studied it. "Purple?" she questioned.

"Yeah! I always thought it would look good on you!"

The black haired teen studied the dress for a bit before she began to put it on. "Dare I ask why?"

Brandi frowned at the slight annoyance in her friend's voice. "I'm serious, I always thought you would good in purple," she stated. "Paul only reminded me about it."

"Oh." There was a bit of relief in her voice. "I thought you were going to say something about Paul and I being together." Neither of them said anything for a while, and Haley sighed. "Alright, go ahead."

"But you guys are so cute together!" Brandi cried. They were lucky no one was in the changing area with them. "You like him, right?"

"Sure, but I got lucky with him wanting to be friends with me," Haley sighed. "And I bet that's all I am to him."

She was _really_ lucky that she had pulled up her dress by that point.

"You _can't_ be serious!" the red haired Coordinator exclaimed as she yanked the curtain open.

Both of them ignored Haley's looks for a bit while they argued over the current subject. "Look, you've only seen him once," Haley pointed out. _And somehow got him to smile_ _ **and**_ _laugh on your first try,_ she added in her head sadly. "And the whole time I was battling."

"And the whole time he was looking at you!" Brandi informed.

"Me and my Pokémon, maybe; we were battling after all," Haley reinforced.

Her friend narrowed her eyes. "You're going to be absolutely stubborn about today, aren't you?" she grumbled.

"Today?" the black haired Trainer repeated.

"Yeah. What about every other day? You should know better than anyone what he thinks of you."

"Liking someone more than a friend-"

"You mean love."

"Whatever; it's a pretty hard emotion to read. Remember how I've _always_ failed?"

Brandi rolled her eyes. "We were, what, twelve when you confessed to Brendan?" she reminded. "It's not like you guys should have been dating at that age, anyway."

Haley rolled her eyes, too. "I mean every other time I've tried with _other_ people," she clarified. "Remember? And may I remind you that my other crush died in a car crash? I have pretty rotten luck when it comes to my love life."

"Well, maybe Paul will turn that luck around," Brandi countered. Finally she studied her friend in the strapless sundress, and she beamed. "And we'll prove it!"

"Really?" Haley questioned dryly, not believing it.

"Absolutely!" Brandi explained her plan quickly, and as she continued, Haley began to blush harder and harder.

"We can't do that!" the hazel-eyed girl hissed.

"Yes we can!" her friend persisted. "Tell me, is Paul usually the type of guy to drool over you in certain outfits?"

Well, there was the time her shirt got wet from the rain before they went into Mismagius' dream world, where he seemed quite satisfied seeing through her shirt. But when she got soaked in the creek on the way to Canalave City, he didn't seem to care.

Then of course there was the dinner dress she wore in Hearthome City, and the dress she wore for the Soldaster Contest, but those were kind of _meant_ to be drooled over. Any other day, though? He hadn't looked up her skirt once like every other guy seemed to do, and when it came to _other_ women in drool-worthy outfits he didn't bat an eye.

Maybe Brandi had a point in saying this would be a pretty good test.

But that didn't make it any less embarrassing.

"All of my old ones are small, though," Haley pointed out, trying to talk her out of it, knowing it was in vain.

When Brandi Skyla Thompson had an idea, she would follow it to the very end.

"Uh, _hello_ , look where we are!" Brandi responded, proving Haley's suspicions. "We'll find you a super cute one here, no doubt!"

"And how exactly are we going to get the guys to come with us?" Haley inquired.

"Hey, who just won their last badge and _totally_ deserves a day of relaxation before the Run and the League start? They'll come along if we say that," the Coordinator explained.

Good point… Okay, one more try. "Look, Brandi, I just don't think-"

"Paul in swim trunks."

…Shit, that would be fucking hot.

"Come on, let's go find one already!" Brandi declared, grabbing her wrist and dragging her around the store to find Haley a new swimsuit.

...

Brendan cheered in delight when they met up with the girls again and Brandi told them of her idea. "The beach sounds awesome!" he agreed.

"I don't know…" Paul stated. He wasn't a big fan of putting on a swimsuit and then having girls squeal in his ear the entire time.

"Oh, stop being a killjoy!" the Birch boy chastised, half-jokingly and half not. "You two have two full days and an afternoon before things get crazy, so let's have a break." Then he put an arm around Haley. "At the very least go for the lucky victor today."

Paul realized he was right, and then something else hit him.

He would be in a swimsuit, but so would Haley.

How he managed to not drop his neutral face at the thought was something not even he would understand.

"Alright," Paul agreed.

"Great! Brendan cheered. "You have a swimsuit, right?"

"Unfortunately," the purple haired Trainer replied. No amount of mental imagines could change the fact that he hated wearing his gray trunks with green stripes on the side.

Yeah. Green. He liked green, too.

"You're still going to wear it so you can join us, right?" Brandi urged.

"I'm just not going to be very happy about it," Paul sighed.

They made their way to the beach, and Paul watched as Brandi skipped the whole way, her dark pink sundress swishing the whole way. Meanwhile Brendan was marching, his head held high and a huge grin on his face. But Haley seemed subdued and nervous, and her hands danced fitfully around each other behind her back. That confused Paul, since he thought she'd be the most excited. And the closer they got the more nervous she became, so the Veilstone Trainer finally brought it up.

"Hey, is there something wrong?" he asked her in a low voice.

Haley looked at him, and after a second she shook her head. "No," she answered. "Why do you ask?"

"You just don't look all that excited," Paul pointed out. "In fact, you look a little rigid."

She shrugged her shoulders. "It wasn't really my idea," she admitted. "But I guess both of them are right; we need a day of relaxation before things get crazy." Then she took a deep breath. "I'll try and be less tense, and you know what," Haley gave off a little smile, "let's have a fun afternoon at the beach."

Damn her smile was adorable, and her purple strapless dress was making her even cuter. Then there was the black strap going around her neck, teasing the swimsuit she had on underneath. "Y-yeah," Paul agreed.

Now Haley looked confused, even a tad concerned. "Is there something wrong?" she questioned.

"N-no," he lied, though he knew that wasn't convincing at all. So he quickly thought of an explanation. "I just don't like wearing a swimsuit. It brings...unwanted attention."

"I see," Haley said. Then she giggled. "But that must mean you're doing something right." Paul blushed profusely.

Finally the beach came into view, and Paul thanked his lucky stars there was barely anyone there. His friends agreed with him, though for different reasons. "Now we can find an awesome spot!" Brendan exclaimed.

"Let's find a place near the grass so our Pokémon can play," Brandi suggested.

"You guys got mine healed, right?" Haley inquired.

Brendan grinned. "Of course!" he assured happily. "Now come on, let's find a place. And Paul, go get-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be right back," the Veilstone Trainer interrupted, waving Brendan off.

He went to the changing room - giving Brendan his belt of Poké Balls before he left - and quickly changed into his trunks. He put everything into his bag except his shirt, deciding to leave it on for as long as possible. Then he went back to the spot his friends had picked out just as they were releasing all of their Pokémon to enjoy the sun. He took his time studying Brandi's team in particular, and he was surprised by her choices.

"A Nidoking and a Dusclops?" he noted (the latter making him shiver just a tad) as he walked up to her. "Odd choices for a Coordinator."

Brandi smiled at him before taking off her cover-up to reveal a pink bikini with maroon edges that had light blue plastic gems on them. "You'd be surprised what they can do," she told him. She pointed to Dusclops. "Citrine has gotten me out of plenty of jams in the Battle Rounds during Hoenn and Johto." Then she pointed at Nidoking. "And Zircon has been with me since the beginning. Haley's uncle bred him special just for me, and he was just about the cutest Nidoran you've ever seen!"

Nidoking didn't bat an eye at being called cute, and Paul guessed that the Drill Pokémon was used to it by now. Then Gardevoir floated over and bowed respectfully, and Paul smiled. "That's right, I remember you're the Pokémon Haley used in Soldaster."

"I heard Opal did great!" Brandi squealed. "I just wish I could have been there to see it!"

_For more reasons than one,_ Paul thought, also remembering Haley's dress, and he smiled even bigger. Then the red haired Coordinator introduced him to her other three Pokémon: Garnet the Flareon, a jolly little bundle who seemed as clumsy as her Trainer; Ruby the Persian, who was extremely vain and even gave Paul the eye when he observed her grooming; and Peridot the Mothim, Brandi's most recent addition and a somewhat skittish fellow.

"It's definitely an interesting team," Paul concluded.

"Thanks!" Brandi replied. "I don't know what I'd do without them!"

"Heeeeeey!" Brendan called out, and the two Trainers looked out into the ocean. The Birch boy was riding his Swampert - with his Raichu hanging onto the Mud Fish Pokémon for dear life - and waving at them. He wore dark blue trunks, and he had taken off his hat to reveal his short black hair. "Stop talking and get in here, you two, the water feels great! You too, Haley! Stop staring into space!"

"Coming!" Brandi yelled, grabbing a beach ball before making a mad dash and almost running into Brendan's Rapidash and Rhydon in the process.

Meanwhile, Haley and Paul just stayed where they were for a bit before the purple haired teen sighed. He decided there was no holding off anymore and proceeded to take off his shirt. As he did, he kept Haley in the corner of his eye to gauge her reaction, and his heart began pounding when he realized something:

She was openly staring at his well-toned chest with wide eyes and a faint blush making itself known.

Usually, Paul hated those types of stares. It was why he hated going to the beach or the pool; he always ended up scowling at the observers to scare them away. But with her hazel eyes studying him so intently, he had to look away to compose himself. He placed his shirt on his bag and looked back, his face completely neutral as he asked, "Something wrong?"

Haley snapped out of her trace and smiled, and if Paul didn't know any better he would have thought he had imagined it. Though...maybe he had; he didn't really know. "No, don't worry," she stated. "Come on, I think we've let them wait long enough." Her friend nodded, and then Haley began to take off her sundress.

Paul kept a straight face the entire time.

He must have been the most talented man on the whole planet.

Just...wow. How else could he describe her other than nosebleed-worthy, with her slender legs and flat stomach and- oh, did he mention she had her hair down with her bandana still in it? And her swimsuit... God, _her swimsuit_. It was a sleek black bikini with the black material held together by crimson metal rings, and her silver bracelet shined brightly on her right wrist. He noticed that once again her glove was gone, but this time he didn't care. Everything else about her had his complete, undivided attention.

So much so that he almost missed her asking if he was ready to get into the water.

"Yeah," he answered slowly, amazed that his voice worked at all.

Either not noticing the slowness of the response or deciding to ignore it, Haley smiled and walked towards the water.

Oh how he felt like a dirty pervert watching her, and somewhere in the back of his mind Paul hated to admit that he was.

Umbreon finally nudged the back of his legs, and he looked down at her pointing towards the water with her head. Behind her, Infernape and Electabuzz were snickering, though they stopped when Brendan's Shiftry eyed them with annoyance for ruining its nap. Thankful for the Grass-Dark type's interruption yet still embarrassed, Paul made his way to the water, joining his three friends and Gastrodon, who had made its way into the water as well and began conversing with Swampert, still carrying a terrified Raichu on its back.

"Finally!" Brendan cried when the purple haired Trainer swam up to him. The girls had decided to pass the beach ball back and forth a few yards away. "What took you so long?"

"...Nothing special," Paul reported.

But Brendan wasn't fooled. He grinned slyly. "Checking out my best friend, right?" he stated.

"Shut up!" the Veilstone Trainer hissed.

The other teen laughed. "Hey, don't worry, my best friend was checking you out, too," he responded, as if that was supposed to ease Paul's embarrassment and harsh blush. Then Brendan's grin widened, and eyed Paul suggestively. "Of course, I can't blame her. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're trying to get every person on the planet to fall for you." Paul's blush got even worse (if that was possible), so he punched the promiscuous boy. "OW! Jeez, it was a joke! Well...kind of."

"You have five seconds to rephrase that," Paul warned before he dunked himself under the water to cool his head. When he resurfaced, Brendan looked like he had a better explanation.

"What I mean is, you take care of your body," he rephrased. "That's a good thing, you know."

"Fine, you get a pass," his friend sighed. Suddenly something hit the back of his head, and he turned to find Brandi waving at them with a huge grin on her face.

"Guys, over here!" she directed. "Come play with us!"

Paul grabbed the ball and smiled at her. Once again, for whatever reason, Paul swore he saw Haley with a look of surprise and hurt again, but just like before he brushed it out of his mind. "Sure," he agreed. He was about to hit the ball back before he felt something swim under his feet and then lift him up. Paul looked down to find Empoleon letting the Trainer stand on his back. The Emperor Pokémon turned his head and grinned, and Paul smiled at him before hitting the ball towards Haley.

Gastrodon did the same thing as Haley's Pokémon, except the Water-Ground type let the black haired girl sit on its back as she caught it. Haley beamed at the Eastern Sea Slug Pokémon and then hit the ball towards Brendan. He swam over to it, and then he threw the ball up in the air so Raichu - who finally felt stable on Swampert - could hit it with Iron Tail. Staraptor flew in and batted it with her wing, and Ninjask darted in to hit it towards Brandi, thankfully using the blunt end of its pincers to swat at the ball.

The Coordinator laughed and protected her face from the splash the ball made. She picked it up, and then Gardevoir floated over to her and picked her up with Psychic. The two bounced the ball between each other before the Embrace Pokémon threw the ball straight into the air. Brendan's Swellow grabbed Infernape's wrist and flew towards the object. The Fire-Fighting type spiked it downwards, and Empoleon swam towards it with Paul having to act like he was on a surfboard. The purple haired Trainer grabbed the ball but lost his balance in the process and fell into the water. He resurfaced and shook the water out of his hair, and the group laughed lightheartedly.

It had been a long time since he and Haley became friends, but in that moment it hit him again just how long he had suffered without this.

They played for quite a while before Paul broke off to relax on a flat rock. He watched the Pokémon that were playing or dozing off on the shore, and he smiled. "Hey." He looked down to see Haley had decided to join him.

"Hey," he greeted, and Haley gave him a big smile. Paul moved over so she could hoist herself up and sit next to him, and he couldn't help looking at her black hair cling itself to her neck and watching the drops of water run down her body. He breathed in the ocean air to help calm himself and looked towards the shore again.

"Can you believe it?" Haley piped up after she had sat down. "We're almost done."

Paul nodded. "It feels like forever," he stated, "and at the same time it feels like just yesterday I stepped off the boat in Twinleaf and caught Ninjask and Chimchar."

"Yeah," she agreed. They listened to the water lap around the rocks for a minute or two before Haley spoke again. "You know, I was thinking of starting my journey through Sinnoh last year."

"Really?" Paul questioned.

Haley hummed a confirmation. "I would have been fourteen ending off Sinnoh instead of fifteen."

"Ah, that's right, your birthday passed while you were training for Volkner in a huff."

"Oh, shut up." Paul chuckled lightly. "You didn't say anything about it, by the way."

"I'll find a way to make it up to you," he promised. "How's that?"

She smiled. "That sounds nice," she said. "But anyway, I spent that year with my dad."

"What did you guys do?"

"We went on vacation," Haley informed. "Mom was supposed to go with us, but the Trainer's School needed her to stay. He took me to Oblivia. It's breathtakingly beautiful."

"I'll take a mental note to visit it one day." Haley giggled. "I took a break, too, and just traveled around Johto, though I'm not exactly sure why." He looked at her and smiled. "But I'm glad I did," he admitted.

Her head rested on his shoulder, and with his heart thumping in his chest he put his chin on top of her hair, closing his eyes as he did. "I'm glad, too," Haley agreed. Again they sat in silence, this time for much longer as they took in each other's presence. Then Haley spoke up once more. "What do you think you're going to do after the Sinnoh League is over?"

He opened his eyes. "I'm going back to Snowpoint to challenge Brandon again," he revealed. "Then after that... I'm not really sure. What about you, after you finish the Run?"

"Well, yesterday after dinner, I called Ray," she began. "He finally showed me a Pokémon he caught a few years back from a region I haven't been to before. It's called Unova, and the Pokémon he showed me was called a Golurk."

"Golurk?" Paul repeated.

"Ray had to have the conversation on his Pokégear because the thing is over nine feet tall," she explained. "He also told me it's a Ground-Ghost type, and that one of the Elite Four members has one. The Elite Four is really interesting there, apparently. You get to choose the order you take them on in." Paul raised an eyebrow; that seemed compelling and yet very strange at the same time. "What's more, apparently the western half of the region has no Pokémon from any other region."

"So just Pokémon from that region?" the Veilstone Trainer inquired curiously.

"Yeah, so maybe I'll go there," Haley pondered. "I'm not really sure yet, though."

Paul frowned; the thought of he and Haley going their separate ways didn't sound appealing to him. He felt as if he had spent barely any time with her. And most of that time...

Most of that time, he held onto the secret that he loved her.

"Paul?" Haley asked, pulling her head back so she could look at him. "Are you okay?"

Looking into her hazel eyes, he breathed in through his nose to calm his pounding heart and fluttering stomach before softly connecting their foreheads. "Haley," he whispered, "there's...there's been something I've been meaning to tell you." She said nothing, but the look in her eyes told him to continue. He gulped and breathed in. "Well...you see, the thing...the thing is that I... I-I-"

Fun fact: Paul didn't really like Mantykes.

The Kite Pokémon was not helping its case by jumping out of the water behind him and startling him, causing him and Haley to both go tumbling into the water.

_Author of my life, I think I hate you,_ Paul grumbled as the two resurfaced.

"Are you okay?" Brandi called out as she and Brendan swam over. "We heard you two scream."

"A Mantyke startled us," Haley replied, once again _somehow_ oblivious to what could have happened. "I'm just glad we didn't hit ourselves on the rocks."

"Yeah, that would suck," Brendan agreed. "Imagine a group of Sharpedo coming after us. That would be terrifying."

"Sharpedo don't live in the mainland of Sinnoh," Paul mumbled in annoyance.

His friends looked at him curiously. "Hey, you look a bit sour," Brendan noted.

He glared before he began to swim to shore. "Mantykes are pathetic," he stated.

"Paul Shinji..." Haley growled as a warning.

"I'm not catching it, Haley, and you can't make me," he told her.

"Wanna bet?" she challenged.

"Treading water and staring at me like you want to burn holes in my head isn't going to help you twist my arm over this."

There was another growl before Haley shouted, "Empoleon!"

Oh fuck.

"Gastrodon, I need you here _now_!" he cried as he hid behind the rocks to avoid the miffed black haired girl atop her Water-Steel type.

Needless to say, the rest of the group was laughing at his plight.

...

Brandi glanced at the clock for the fiftieth time. "Hey, Pinkie, staring at the clock isn't going to help the boat get here any faster," Brendan pointed out.

"But it's going to be here ten more minutes!" she cried. "I can't wait that long! I want to be at Lily of the Valley Island already! This is going to be so exciting!"

"Even if we were to just suddenly pop there, it's not like the Sinnoh League is just going to start," Haley told her.

"It should! You guys said it was going to be an awesome tournament, and I want to see it as soon as possible!" She squealed. "And watching Brendan help Electabuzz evolve yesterday just got me even more pumped to watch!" Paul had to agree with her to an extent. After trading Electabuzz with Rhydon and evolving both of them to their final forms, he couldn't but feel the beginnings of a competitive fire burn inside him.

It was really time for the Sinnoh League.

"Well, remember that this is going to be a two-day trip," Haley stated. "The ferry has to dock at Dandelion Island to stock up on supplies, and that's almost a day away. Then Lily of the Valley Island is almost a day away from there."

Her best friend groaned. "Oh, _fine_ ," she grumbled. "I'll try to be patient."

She didn't do so well.

Finally the ferry arrived with a blow of its horn, and Brandi cheered in excitement. "Come on, let's go!" she declared, dragging Haley onto the boat. Brendan laughed and followed behind them, with Paul calmly making his way to meet up with his friends.

After a few minutes, the ferry left port, and while the hyper Coordinator took her childhood friends on an expedition of the vehicle, Paul stood at the rear of the ship and watched as the mainland became smaller behind them. But before the building on the pier disappeared from sight, he saw something that caught his attention:

A Trainer with a Pikachu on his shoulder, both of whom staring after the boat with frowns of disappointment.

Ash had missed the ferry and would have to take the one that was leaving the following morning.

Though, at the last second, the Pallet Town Trainer and his Pokémon noticed Paul, and their disappointment was replaced with determination. Even if they couldn't see it, the Veilstone Trainer returned it.

Paul Zuckerman versus Ash Ketchum.

Both of them had to wonder if their battle would be one that would be talked about for years to come.

Well, only one way to find out.


	44. The Home Stretch

Lily of the Valley Island.

Home to the Sinnoh League.

You know, in hindsight, Lily of the Valley Island is a _really_ stupid name. And a mouthful.

"Look, look!" Brandi exclaimed, sounding like an excited child as she pointed to the approaching island. "It's right there!"

"Just think, Paul," Brendan stated. "In about 20 minutes, you'll be that much closer to participating in the League." I nodded, unsure of what to say. To be honest, I was...excited, maybe even a little anxious.

Brandi squealed. In the past few days, I had gotten used to her random bouts of excitement, so I no longer flinched at her squeals. Suddenly her arm was around my neck and she pulled me close, and she did the same to Haley. "This is great, you two are going to be amazing!" she shouted. Then she let us go and clapped, a delighted smile on her face. "I can't wait to see you guys battle!"

"We'll do our best," Haley promised. "I'm excited; I haven't actually watched a League Tournament before."

"It's just a tournament," I said, shrugging.

"Maybe, but there are going to be quite a few interesting Trainers," she countered. She giggled and smiled. "And, of course, you're participating, so I have someone to personally root for. I know you'll do great."

No matter how many times she smiles, my heart always skips two beats. Damn it, her smiles are really cute.

We finally docked, and Brandi scanned the crowd. "Wow, look at all of these people!" she pointed out. "There aren't this many at a Grand Festival. I don't think I've seen so many people at an Elite Four Run, either."

"Leagues are more popular," Brendan explained, taking the words right out of my mouth. "We also have to remember the participants are here, too."

"Though the Sinnoh League has the least amount of participants, actually," I added. "64 Trainers. People tend to skip Sinnoh since it's one of the hardest and no one wants to be in the coldest region." I glared at all three of them. "Which is why I'm still questioning how you three can wear clothes so short." They laughed.

"Come on, let's go register already," Haley suggested. "We're not going to get anywhere listening to Paul complain about how thin his skin is."

"Keep talking, we'll see what happens when there's an updraft while you run," I threatened. But strangely she beamed and chuckled, as if she had a plan.

It didn't take us long to find the Pokémon Center, and though the line was almost to the door it went by fast. Before we knew it we were at the front of the line, and I handed over my Badge Case and Pokédex to Nurse Joy. Normally I would give whoever was behind the desk my ID card, but with three extra people I didn't dare to try it. Thankfully Pokédexes can also be used as IDs, with a 100% less chance of my last name being seen (which Nurse Joy did raise an eyebrow to, but luckily said nothing).

"There you go, Paul, you're all set," the woman reported.

"Thank you," I replied, taking back my things. Behind me, I heard some heated whispers between Haley and Brendan, and I thought I heard something about a Pokédex. In the end I decided it wasn't important.

"And here's a key to your room," Joy continued, handing me a keycard.

"Is that a room for four people?" Brandi asked, ignoring her friends like I was.

Nurse Joy smiled. "Of course," she answered. "Don't worry, I saw the three of you."

"O-oh!" Suddenly Brandi looked sheepish. "Sorry, I asked a stupid question, didn't I?"

"No, not at all," the woman assured. "There have been mistakes before; it's always good to make sure."

"Right," Brandi agreed quietly. "Sorry."

"Brandi, there's no reason to apologize," I told her.

She laughed nervously. "Right. Sorry."

I should have seen that coming.

"Haley," I called out, pulling her and Brendan out of their conversation. "Aren't you going to register?"

"Oh, yeah!" She quickly made her way over and stood next to me. "Nurse Joy, I was hoping I could take part in the Elite Four Run."

"Ah, yes, Cynthia told me someone would be participating soon," she remembered. "It's been awhile. Two years, I'd say. Unless you count Aaron and Lucian, but... No, never mind, two years. So, can I have your Badge Case and ID?"

While Haley eagerly handed Nurse Joy the items and began to schedule, I walked over to Brendan. "What were you two arguing about?" I questioned.

"You heard that," he realized, and then he chuckled. "Should have known. Anyway, we were doing the usual: Haley should have a Pokédex." I gave him a look, asking him to explain. "What if she loses her ID? What if the registration only accepts Pokédex IDs? What if she encounters a Pokémon she can't talk to? We do this every year, and every time Haley's too damn stubborn to listen to reason."

"Maybe she has a good argument," I brought up.

"Saying she's doing my work for me _isn't_ a good argument," Brendan countered. I once again looked for explanation. "Oh, whoops, forgot I never told you." He grinned proudly. "Well, besides being a Battle Tower enthusiast-"

"You mean having a fetish for them," Haley butt in, done with registration, which meant we could head to the room.

" _Enthusiast_ ," the girls giggled at his defensiveness, and I couldn't help a small chuckle, "I help Dad with his research. Haley believes that if she gets a Pokédex, I'll slack off, which is stupid. I'm a lot of things, but a procrastinator is _not_ one of them."

"What about all of those summer projects?" Brandi reminded. "I don't remember you doing a single one whenever you came to Kanto during the summer."

"I... I did them!" he defended all too quickly. "Y-you just never saw them!" The girls laughed this time, and Brendan scowled.

"Next time, try not to get too defensive," I advised.

The first thing we did when we got to our room on the ground floor (which by the way, I am extremely grateful we got on the ground floor or else we'd have never heard the end of it) was marvel at it...well, Brandi did. I think she gets excited about almost everything. "Wow, this place is so cool!" she exclaimed. "It's like the Grand Festival but... _grander_ , somehow."

"Got to admit, when you realize you're going to be here for almost a week and not just one or two nights, it suddenly feels even more amazing," Haley agreed. "Now, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Bathroom, nowhere interesting," she replied.

Brendan snickered. "Bet you two could _make_ it interesting," he commented.

For the next five minutes, I chased him, attempting to strangle him while he was practically dying of laughter.

"Alright, Paul, that's enough," Haley said. "I want to strangle him, too, but he's not worth the effort." I grumbled and moved away from the laughing teen that was on the floor. Then I looked at her and realized she was wearing something different: a red t-shirt with white sleeves and jean shorts- hold on, this sounded _very_ familiar.

"Didn't you wear that on Cycling Road?" I remembered.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "I'm surprised you remembered. That was forever ago."

"He probably only remembers it because he thinks it makes your ass look good," Brendan stated slyly.

Haley used Mega Punch. It was super effective.

Leave it to her to somehow find a way to make a Normal type move super effective.

"She wears it because she doesn't want someone looking up her skirt when she runs," Brandi whispered to me while Haley proceeded to torment our promiscuous friend some more.

Well, there went my updraft threat.

"So, they're probably going to be fighting for a while," I noted. "Do you want to go do something?"

"Y-you want to do something with me?" Brandi squeaked.

"If I didn't want to I wouldn't ask," I pointed out.

"Oh, right. So-"

"No apologizing," I interrupted. Then I gave her a hard stare. "And I _mean it_ this time."

Brandi smiled brightly. "Right."

Nothing came after. To think it took Haley and Brendan years to get her to stop doing that to them.

We walked out of the room and into the town. Brandi was surprised there was a town on an island that people only visited for two weeks at most, and I explained some people _did_ actually live here. It wouldn't be too hard to get to the mainland anyway, since Sunyshore and Snowpoint weren't that far away.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "That sounds really cute! It's a small community all to their own!"

"Cute isn't the first word that comes to mind, but then again I don't have anything better," I stated.

The first store we passed that caught her eye was an accessory shop. I could tell she wanted to go but at the same time didn't want to force me in. Her Persian, however, didn't care what I thought as she popped out of her Poké Ball and stalked over to the shop. "H-hey, Ruby, wait-"

"Is that where you want to go?" I cut in.

She looked at me with wide eyes. "U-uh, w-well...yes," she admitted sheepishly.

"Then let's go." She looked surprised, but then she smiled.

I like it better when she smiles.

Persian led us around the store, looking for what _she_ wanted rather than what _Brandi_ wanted. A long time ago, I probably would have said how pathetic it was that a Pokémon had their Trainer on the leash, but even then, perhaps I would make an exception for Persians. The Normal type led us around until she found a gold ribbon to tie around her neck, and it was fairly cheap, only being a little less than 1100 Poké. Nevertheless, Brandi's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"Ruby, that's way too expensive!" she cried.

"Expensive?" I repeated.

"It's...it's just... Do you see that it's 9000 Poké?! I don't have that much!"

"Um, Brandi, it's only 1097.45," I informed, confused.

Her expression changed to shocked. "It...it is?" I nodded, and she looked scared. "O-oh." She laughed quietly and nervously. "Um, my bad. I thought it said something else."

"Brandi, are you-"

"I'm not dyslexic, I swear!"

We stared at each other for a very long time, and Brandi's eyes were wide throughout all of it. "You do realize I wouldn't judge you because you _do_ have dyslexia, right?" I finally pointed out. She opened her mouth. "No. No apologizes, understood?"

"Y-yeah," she agreed sheepishly. Then she looked at the ribbon again. "I'm... I'm going to buy it." I nodded, and Brandi took the ribbon for a very satisfied Persian.

After a few minutes, she also took a red and a blue barrette, and for both prices she had me double check to make sure she hadn't mixed up the numbers again. She didn't, and she looked very proud of herself. As she went to pay, Haley and Brendan entered. The latter looked like he had been through Hell and back, but Haley...why did she look a little pained? Seriously, why did I keep seeing that?

"Now how did I know Brandi dragged you in here?" Haley chuckled, ignoring Brendan's condition and dropping the expression, making me think I was once again seeing things. No, I _had_ to be; there was no reason for her to look like that.

"Actually, Persian did," I revealed, pushing that thought away for a third time.

Haley rolled her eyes with a grin on her face and looked at the Classy Cat Pokémon. "She's being a brat again, huh?" Haley noted. Persian didn't bat an eye and continued to adjust her new ribbon that was around her neck.

For the rest of the day we explored the town and visited the various stalls that were open. I had to admit I had fun, and it pained me that it took this long to actually enjoy a Pokémon League, even if there were things to complain about. Brendan did his usual thing of scoping out the field (to which I kept pushing him so we could keep moving and, really, wasn't that annoying) and other men would occasionally give Haley a charming smile and try to flirt with her. Luckily, Brandi was with us, and would constantly shoo them away, her cheeks puffed in annoyance every time they scurried off. Though surprisingly, not even that could stop my enjoyment of the carnival games and the presence of the three people I had learned to call friends.

No, it took the appearance of an old face to do that, and it's not Ash.

Alright, I'm going to do a quick refresher since it's been forever since I've talked about her. There's a girl named Bridget in Veilstone City who is an obsessive fan girl, and I honestly think she wants me in a glass case to enshrine me forever.

Mikayla Mariah Maciel, on the other hand, is a self-proclaimed rival and an obsessive hater who I honestly think wants me in a glass case so I can suffocate to death.

"Well, well, well," her high pitched, annoying, grating, stupid- I'm getting off topic. Point was, she said it very slowly, and I scowled as my friends stopped to turn and look at her. "If it isn't _you_."

"I hate my life," I hissed under my breath. I turned around as well.

...God damn it, she was wearing her dumb sunglasses.

"What do you want, Maciel?" I asked so dryly I'm sure no desert could match it.

"I see you're as charming as ever," she huffed, still not taking off those damn sunglasses. "Addressing someone by their last name... What an ass." I rolled my eyes. Then I noticed she raised an eyebrow. Oh great, she was studying my friends, and I knew she was going to say something stupid, too. By the way, she lowered her glasses while she did. Bitch. "And who are _these_ three?"

"None of your business, as usual," I responded. "Now leave."

Though, _as usual_ , she stayed. This time, however, her focus wasn't on me. Rather, her aqua eyes were all on Haley, who was leaning away from Mikayla with a really confused and even slightly annoyed look. Finally, my friend spoke up. "Um, yes?" she prompted. "Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to say something? You're kind of creeping me out."

"I'm just trying to see how lame my competition is," Mikayla stated, making me scowl even deeper.

Meanwhile, Haley was taken aback by her rudeness but quickly composed herself. "I'm not here for the League," she informed. "I signed up for the Elite Four Run."

Mikayla _finally_ took her sunglasses off all the way before she reeled back with her snooty laughter. "You? Take on the Elite Four in one go?" she laughed. "You don't look like you could beat a Gym Leader!"

Brandi bristled. I don't think I've seen her so angry. "Look, you, no one insults my bestie like that!" she shouted. "Haley's going to beat the Sinnoh Elite Four like she does it every year!"

Now Mikayla scowled. "I wasn't addressing you," she sneered, swiping some of her long auburn hair out of her face. "What, are you retarded or something?"

The Coordinator just stared at her in horror, and Haley gave Mikayla the bone-chilling glare. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she growled.

"Was I wrong?" Mikayla shot back, looking very smug.

"About who you were talking to, quite possibly," Haley admitted. "But I don't care if you _were_ right about Brandi's mental condition, calling someone retarded is _insulting_."

"Aw, you think you're a big girl," the other Trainer cooed like a mother would to a child. I growled; if she was referring to Haley's outfit, then I could go and tell her off for being a rich girl with her long sleeved maroon shirt, brown skinny jeans, and white boots. Oh, and those really annoying sunglasses! I seriously hate those things.

"So if you could stop insulting my friends, that would be great," Brendan cut in, glaring.

For once, I wasn't the one subjected to any sort of wooing. Though for Brendan, it was probably 10,000 times worse.

"Come on, Handsome, you don't have to be with these _losers_ anymore," she purred, doing what both Haley's cousin and Pigtails had done to me, all the while not realizing Brendan's clear distaste. "So what don't you say the two of us go somewhere we can be alone-"

"Get away from me!" Brendan demanded before shoving her off. Well, he had more guts than me, that's for sure. Meanwhile, Mikayla looked like she had just been slapped across the face. "You do _not_ get to insult my two best friends then go right around and try to ask me out on a date! Paul made it pretty damn clear that you're not wanted here, but since you don't seem to know how to turn around and walk away, we will!" He grunted and did exactly as he said he would. "Come on, guys, I don't think I could stomach this bitch for even five more seconds."

Haley gave once last glare before taking Brandi's arm gently and comforting. The two girls followed Brendan, and before I followed them I scowled at her again. "Maciel, be happy that for the first time in these past four Leagues I give a damn about battling you," I began in a voice that almost sounded like I was snarling. "But the result will be the same as always: I _will_ win, and this time it will be a complete and utter demolition."

She fumed. "You won't win again, Shinji!" she proclaimed, being a hypocrite as usual. "And being around those loser friends of yours will be the reason for your downfall!" With that, she whipped around and stormed off, and I watched her disappear into the crowd before quickly joining the three who had gone in the opposite direction.

"Paul, who was that?" Haley inquired when I joined back up with them.

"Her name's Mikayla Maciel," I answered. "She and I have battled in the first round of every Pokémon League I've participated in. Of course, I'm better, and as a result I wouldn't be surprised if she wants me dead. Also, as you clearly saw, she's a Class A Bitch."

Haley snorted. "Putting it lightly," she replied. "Not even Ursula was that bad. Seriously, that was just... How could she _say_ things like that?"

We heard Brandi sniff, and I looked over to see tears running down her face. "But I..." She sniffed again and then whimpered. "I mean maybe I... What if she's-"

"Brandi, don't finish that sentence," I instructed, cutting right in front of her and forcing her and Haley to stop, which made Brendan stop as well. "What she said was completely wrong."

"But... But Paul, what about-"

"You having dyslexia does _not_ mean you are mentally disabled!" I interrupted, furious. Not at Brandi, but at Mikayla for putting the thought in her head. All I could think of was, _Jason, Jason, Jason-_

"Wait... You have dyslexia?" Brendan asked, snapping me back to reality.

I looked at Brendan and Haley with confusion, and they seemed just as confused as me. Then I looked back at Brandi. "You haven't told them?" I questioned.

"W-well... I-I mean, I thought..." She stopped and looked at the ground. "Sorry," she whispered.

No one stopped her that time. In fact, none of us said anything for a while. Then Haley put her left hand on Brandi's shoulder in a reassuring way, but then I noticed her right hand was in a very tight fist. I raised an eyebrow but said nothing, though I made a mental note to talk about it with her later. For the moment, I watched as Haley smiled.

"Hey Brandi, is there anything you want to do?" she offered. Our red haired friend looked at Haley, who smiled even bigger. "We'll do whatever you want to do for the rest of the afternoon. How about it?"

It took a while for her to answer, but finally Brandi nodded and said, "Okay."

"Great!" Brendan exclaimed. "There's an info booth not too far from here. Let's check it out!" He grabbed her hand and took off, leaving Haley and I alone.

Deciding now would be the best time, I looked at Haley and asked, "What's wrong?" She turned her head to look at me, slightly confused. "You looked really upset."

Her confused look changed to a sad, frustrated one. Then she looked down the path where the other two had gone. "It's just... I've known her since I was three," she explained, "and not once did I notice."

There was something...off about her explanation. I mean, it made sense and all, but her voice was tight, as if she was holding something back. Then a thought crossed my mind: what if it had to do with me? That would make sense, too; the new guy in the group knowing a secret before you about your best friend since almost day one would be pretty frustrating. Thinking about it that way, I decided to drop it.

"I'll beat her," I vowed. She looked at me again, this time with a straight, serious face. "There's no doubt in my mind Maciel and I will battle in the first round, and when we do she _won't_ win."

My crush smiled that oh-so adorable smile, looking genuinely happy again. "Thanks, Paul," she stated. "You're a good friend."

"I wouldn't be one without you," I thanked.

Suddenly she looked a bit downcast. "I'm no example to anyone," Haley replied.

"That isn't true," I argued, extremely taken aback. "That isn't true at all. I don't know where you got that idea from, Haley; you're a great friend and a good example."

Once again she was smiling, though it was bit smaller and- oh, was that a tad bit of blush on her cheeks? "Thank you, Paul," she repeated. "Now come on, let's go find our friends. They're probably wondering where we are." I nodded, but before I began to move, Haley... H-Haley...

Have I ever mentioned that when she kisses my cheek I act like a love struck fool?

All I could do was watch her run off as I stared in a daze, and after almost a minute I sighed, no doubt with a huge dopey smile on my face.

Haley and my love for her was going to be my drive to take revenge on Mikayla for insulting my friends, especially Brandi. And then I'd take that win and let it push me all the way to until the very end.

Not even Ash would stand in my way.

...

With the lighting of the Sinnoh League Flame, the tournament was officially underway. Just as I predicted, Mikayla and I were battling in the first round. I felt her seething and stomp off, but I paid her no mind as I studied the rest of the board. That Barry kid was up against some random Trainer, and Ash was taking on some guy with a Mew-shaped harp. I watched the two talk for a bit before leaving, where I met up with my friends.

"Wow, you were right," Brendan noted. I nodded. "Think you can help me win the lottery?"

"My abilities are selective," I responded, and he pretended to be annoyed.

"Um, Paul?" I looked at Brandi, who looked very determined but also extremely frightened. Mikayla's words from the day before were still affecting her, even though we had done our best to lift her spirits. "I... I-I know you'll beat her," she said. "You can do it."

"That's right, you'll put that bitch in her place easy!" Brendan exclaimed in agreement.

I nodded again. "Let's head to the computer room," I suggested. "I want to check on Maciel's stats, though they probably haven't changed a bit." They agreed, and we headed to the Pokémon Center.

"So, I have a question," Haley suddenly brought up as we walked. "How come you call Mikayla by her last name?"

"I don't like her," I answered bluntly.

"What about Ash?" she pointed out.

That...was a good point, actually. "By the time I knew his last name, I had begrudging respect," I replied, thinking of the only good explanation as to why I hadn't done my usual habit.

"And Ursula?"

"Not unless _you_ know her last name. Otherwise, I'm sticking with Pigtails."

We made it to the computer room, and Mikayla was just as I remembered her: an average Trainer who used mostly "cute/cool beauties". Gag me. "Hey, look," Brendan observed. "In her last three Gym Battles, she used Lopunny, Gardevoir, and Medicham."

"So that useless Meditite evolved, huh?" I stated with little interest. I got out of the chair. "Well, here's to another curb stomp."

"Should we get food to properly toast?" Haley joked.

"Food sounds _good_!" Brandi genuinely cheered.

Once again we were outside, looking for a place to eat, when I heard a very familiar girly voice say my name. As always, I stopped to engage in conversation with Ash and his group with no idea how stupid the meeting would go. "Hey Paul!" Ash greeted, jolly as ever, which still weirds me out how idiotic he can pretend to be. "Here we go! Already know which Pokémon you're using?"

Actually, to be honest, I hadn't even _begun_ to think about which Pokémon I was going to use against Mikayla. Her Lopunny was actually a new member, who knew how Gardevoir had changed, and I wasn't too keen on using Honchkrow against Medicham, not after last time where I learned the thing had Attract. But, I had to look like I was on top of my game as usual, and in terms of the rest of the tournament I had a few ideas of the Pokémon that would be competing.

"Of course," I told him.

"I'll bet I know how you based your picks," Troublesome piped up. I had to be a tad skeptical on this; since when had _she_ become a battling expert? "On your opponent's strategies and type advantage!"

Women. I will never understand how they can be so damn smart in an instant.

"You bet right!" Brendan butt in, putting his arm around me _again_. How many times must I say I need personal- oh, forget it. He's never going to listen. "Our friend Paul here picked the best three Pokémon for the job!"

Oh thank everything, he decided to play along.

"Your three best?" Ash repeated, though I saw that hidden glint, like he knew I was full of shit. Forget women, I will never understand _him_.

"Wow, you sound really confident in him," Brock commented. I saw Brendan grin. "And you _look_ pretty confident, Paul."

Against Mikayla, it was pretty easy _to_ be confident. "How about you, Ash?" Haley questioned. "Have you thought about the three Pokémon you'll be using?"

"That's what we were just talking about," he revealed. "You see, Nando uses a lot of Bug and Grass types, but at the Grand Festival he also used a Lopunny, so I have to really careful not to caught off guard."

A Coordinator _and_ a League participant? That...actually sounded like something that should be more common. Maybe if Contests were more of a side attraction than an actual career. "Well, we wish you luck," Haley encouraged, speaking for...most of us.

"Yeah, Haley's been telling me that if you and Paul battle, it's going to be great!" Brandi exclaimed. "So make it to that round, alright?"

Ash nodded. "I won't lose!" he promised. "I'm going to give it all I got and win so I can battle Paul in the finals!"

No. I refused to let his confidence rise that high, not after Lake Acuity. Even if he was acting, I wanted him to tone it down, because I really did want to have a full battle with him again. If Ash let himself become over confident again, it wouldn't happen, and I would honestly be disappointed. Of course, that did mean showing the side of myself I didn't want Brendan and Brandi to see, but I couldn't exactly be anything other than blunt.

"You're pathetic," I began, and of course there was a gasp of confusion from the three of them. Meanwhile, I felt my two friends stare at me in shock, and I bet anything Haley was pissed. Dinner was _not_ going to be pleasant. "Every Trainer competing here at the Sinnoh League has won eight badges. Giving it all you got means nothing."

Not surprisingly, he scowled at me, and there was a fire in his eyes that screamed, _What an asshole!_ Without a second thought, I turned and walked off, and for a few seconds only Haley followed me, probably because she was so used to my shit she just stopped acting surprised. Finally the other two caught up to us, and when we were out of sight, Haley...

Well, all I could say was that I was glad she used Mega Kick on my stomach. Otherwise there'd be no surprise as to how she made a Normal type move super effective.

"Asshat," she grumbled as she continued walking and left me to try and recover air.

Brendan and Brandi knelt down. "Yeah, not gonna lie, man, that was a dick move," the Birch teen added.

I struggled to lift my head to look at the two of them. "Wel... Welcome to...a typical encounter be...between us," I wheezed. After a minute or so, I finally gathered my air and stood up, only to find Haley had doubled back and was glaring. Immediately I was on guard.

"Well it doesn't _have_ to be!" she argued.

"I mean, I just..." I sighed. "Can we go get food now?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Sure, let's avoid the subject," she grumbled. I sighed again.

As we had our food, the four of us went over Mikayla's three Pokémon and which of mine would be best against them. "For Lopunny, a Fighting type is definitely the way to go," Brandi commented.

"I think you should use Toxicroak," Haley suggested. "Even though I know very little about Mikayla, there's no doubt her Pokémon are female, or at the very least one of them is."

"Medicham is," I informed. "That thing has used Attract on my Pokémon before. And I bet you're right in thinking Lopunny is female."

"Hey, what about Weavile against Gardevoir?" Brendan brought up.

"That's what I was thinking," I told him. It was the only match-up I had been sure of. "Toxicroak sounds like a good choice. But that still leaves Medicham, and I'm not sure if I want to try my luck with Honchkrow again."

"What about Ninjask?" Brendan offered, but I shook my head. "Okay, well, do you have any other Flying types? Or maybe a Ghost type?"

"I do have Gliscor," I stated, "but it doesn't have any Flying type moves and not so good mobility. Medicham - I hate to say - is pretty acrobatic. And the only Ghost type Pokémon I have is Froslass, and for all I know Medicham still has Fire Punch. One hit and Froslass would be down." I looked at my friends intently. "I don't want Maciel to have any sort of satisfaction."

They agreed with me, but that also left us at a standstill. We didn't say anything for a while as we ate our food, and then suddenly Haley asked, "Are you absolutely sure Honchkrow, Gliscor, and Ninjask are your only Flying types?"

"Yes, they're-" Something crossed my mind.

There _was_ one more.

"Actually, I do," I realized. "I got it in Johto last year. The only problem is it's never been in a battle before, so I'm not sure how it will do, not to mention it's technically unregistered. And I don't know its gender, either."

"Forget what gender it is, is it faster than Medicham?" Brandi questioned.

"It is," I answered, pretty positive on my answer.

"Then let's go register it!" Haley declared. "If you're sure it can take down Medicham, then let's at least try it!" I nodded.

We quickly finished dinner and then went to the Pokémon Center again, and I called Reggie. He congratulated me on making it to the Sinnoh League before I asked if he had my last Flying type. My brother smiled bigger. "Yep!" he confirmed. "It's actually here, for once. That one likes to fly off. And don't worry about a lack of battle experience. Any time it's home I train it for you, not to mention I'm sure it does some battling when it's flying around."

"Can you tell me its moveset?" I requested. Reggie told me the four moves it knew, and I decided to add it to the team, momentarily swapping it with Ninjask, as well as getting Weavile.

"Good luck," Reggie stated once the transfers were complete. He had a look of determination on his face as he continued. "I know you'll win, Paul. There's no doubt you've got this."

"Thanks," I replied with a smile. He grinned back, looking completely ecstatic. Then he waved and ended the call, and I turned to my friends. "Well, let's get it registered, and then we should get back to the room."

"Yeah, you're the second battle tomorrow morning," Haley reminded. "You're going to need all the sleep you can get."

I nodded, and we made our way to the front desk. "I still can't believe you _have_ that!" Brendan cried. "Dude, seriously, where and how?!"

"Ruins of Alph," I informed. "And it took about an hour of digging around." He still looked amazed, and I couldn't blame him, but I wasn't really focused on it.

_Mikayla, this is going to be a battle you won't forget any time soon._


	45. First Round Frenzy

"Our second battle of the day and first battle in the red battlefield are two League regulars, folks!" I barely heard the announcer shout over the roar of the crowd. Man, I don't think I've ever a League _this_ loud. "We have Paul Shinji of Veilstone City versus Mikayla Maciel of Slateport City! These two have battled each other for years, so be prepared for an exciting battle!"

More like a curb stomp.

"Gardevoir, charm up the field!" Mikayla giggled as she released her Pokémon.

_Once again_ , it was my job to remind her we were in a League Tournament, not a Contest. "Weavile, stand by for battle!"

When he appeared on the dirt, one look at the Psychic type got him growling, and Gardevoir narrowed its eyes as a yellow light outlined it for a few seconds, signifying Trace had been activated. Meanwhile, Mikayla smirked in amusement but annoyance.

"You're a one-trick Ponyta, Shinji!" she accused tauntingly.

"Like you're one to talk," I shot back, not nearly as amused as she was.

"Just so you know, Gardevoir and I aren't letting you win this year," Mikayla declared.

"We'll see," I challenged. "Now make your move, Maciel."

She smirked even wider. "Oh, look at that, you learned how to be a gentleman," she mocked.

"More like the officials gave it to you, since you clearly weren't paying attention," I pointed out. Her smirk became a scowl. "Now, like I said, make your move. I have better things to do today than entertain you."

"You're going to be one walking home in shame, count on it!" she vowed. "Gardevoir, Reflect!" The Psychic type raised its hands, and a shining, light blue-colored round barrier appeared in front of it before fading a few seconds later. That, of course, meant all of my physical attacks would be halved for a while.

Good thing I could stall.

"Weavile, Swords Dance!" I ordered. Weavile swiped his claws until they glowed purple and doubled in length. Mikayla didn't like that, and now it was my turn to smirk. "Stall all you want, Maciel, but the inevitable awaits."

"Oh shut up!" she snapped. "We'll wipe that smirk off your face! Gardevoir, use Focus Blast!" Her Pokémon created a ball of energy and threw it towards Weavile.

That was a new move, but I didn't let it faze me for long. "Dodge it!" Weavile jumped out of the way, and as soon as he landed on his feet, I had him use Ice Beam. He fired, and unlike my Pokémon, Gardevoir wasn't fast enough to dodge. Though only its shoulder got hit, I still smirked in triumph. "Relying solely on Gardevoir's high Special Defense isn't going to help you."

"Keep talking big, Shinji, let's see where that gets you!" Mikayla warned. "Gardevoir, Confuse Ray!" It formed multiple brown-gold balls around itself and fired them at my Pokémon.

"Dodge and then use Swords Dance again!" I commanded. Weavile leapt again and then swiped his claws once more. His claws didn't glow nor did they get any longer, but that didn't mean his Attack didn't go up. With it as high as it was, I didn't mind Reflect in the slightest.

Besides, I was taking a page out of Haley's book.

"Go, Weavile!" He sprang towards Mikayla's Pokémon with his claw glowing white. The barrier went up, but when Weavile's right claw connected with it, Reflect shattered, and Gardevoir took the full force of the attack even though it wasn't very effective.

Nevertheless, Mikayla was surprised. Amateur. What did she _think_ the move was? "But...how?"

"If you're really that clueless, then you're pathetic," I commented. She growled. "Now Weavile, use Night Slash!" As he landed on the ground, his left claw glowed dark purple, and he lunged to swipe at our opponent, making it fly back and crash onto the ground. It tried to struggle to its feet, and Mikayla looked agitated and confused. I sighed. "Fine, if you're going to act like a ten-year-old, I'll tell you. Weavile used Brick Break, which has the effect of shattering Reflect and Light Screen." I smirked. "You remember the girl you called a little kid the other day?"

"Yeah, what about that good-for-nothing Runner?" she spat, looking like she was about to cry.

"That 'good-for-nothing' gave me the idea," I revealed. "Her name's Haley Paige Sedai, and one of her favorite things to do is catch opponents off guard. What better way to do that than destroy the only defense Gardevoir has against us?"

Mikayla was gritting her teeth so hard I thought she would break them. "You... But you _never_ take the advice of others!" she countered.

"Untrue," I half lied. "If the Trainer's strong, then why _shouldn't_ I listen to them?"

"I'm strong!" Mikayla argued.

"Not to me." She was seething. "Besides, _I don't like you_. That should be enough of a reason to not listen to _your_ advice. Weavile, finish Gardevoir with Night Slash!" He made both claws dark purple and went for the Psychic type, who was now standing up.

"Gardevoir, use Focus Blast and don't stop until that _thing_ faints!" she yelled, her voice cracking in several places. Her Pokémon obeyed and tried to stop Weavile, but after two shots - both of which Weavile dodged - Gardevoir couldn't make anymore. "Gardevoir, what's wrong?"

"Forget Weavile's ability already, did you?" I taunted. She looked at me with fury. "Fine, I'll tell you for the third time. It's Pressure, which halves the amount of times you can use a move, and Focus Blast doesn't have many shots to work with. So, with the only way for you to effectively attack us no longer a threat, we'll take this win, thank you!"

"No, I refuse!" Mikayla shouted. "If Gardevoir can't attack Weavile, Weavile will attack itself. Confuse Ray again!" Once again the Psychic type created the orbs and fired, and this time it was successful. Weavile kept running but slowed down, as if he were fighting the status condition.

I hoped the idea I had would actually help. "Weavile, just keep going! Don't let it affect you!" He seemed to hear me, and he beat the 50/50 chance by swiping both of his claws at Gardevoir, knocking it out.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle. The winner is Weavile!"

By that point, my Pokémon was acting like a drunken sailor, so I recalled him. Meanwhile, Mikayla brought her fallen Pokémon back as well, and she brought out the next one.

"Medicham, charm up the field!" The Fighting-Psychic type appeared, and my opponent smirked. "Come on, Shinji, bring out your Honchkrow. He might have evolved since last year, but he'll still fall to Medicham's charms."

But she was surprised by my response.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," I chuckled slowly, shaking my head while I grabbed my Poké Ball. "I'm not that predictable, Maciel. If you seriously believed I was going to be dumb enough to send Honchkrow out against you, then you really don't know me."

"Well what else are you going to use? You haven't used that Gliscor or Ninjask of yours at all!"

"I'm getting to it." I made the Poké Ball larger and then pulled my arm back. "Aerodactyl, stand by for battle!"

"Aerodactyl?!" Mikayla repeated as my Rock-Flying type took flight over the field. "But that wasn't registered!"

"Wrong. I registered it last night. A Pokémon can be registered up to the hour before the battle, so if there's anyone to blame for not knowing it's you."

"Medicham can still beat it!" she proclaimed. "I'll show you! Ice Punch!"

So she _had_ gotten rid of Fire Punch. Maybe Froslass would have been better.

Whatever, since Aerodactyl flew up and out of the way, and Medicham missed entirely. "Fire Fang!" I ordered, and my Pokémon lit its sharp fangs aflame before charging and latching its teeth onto Medicham.

"Bulk Up!" Mikayla shouted, and Medicham raised her Attack and Defense. Aerodactyl let go and flew up, and I grunted. Then Mikayla giggled darkly; I knew what was coming. "Now use Attract!" Medicham created at heart and, with a wink (seriously, _gag me_ ), she threw it towards Aerodactyl. It hit, and I waited for hearts to appear in its eyes.

They never appeared.

What a lucky guy I am.

"But how?" Mikayla gasped.

"Just because the only few known Aerodactyls in the world are male doesn't mean a female can't be resurrected," I replied with a smirk, thanking my good luck. "Too bad, Maciel, your usual tricks won't work this year. Aerial Ace, let's go!" Aerodactyl flew towards Medicham in an air cone, and the attack hit dead on. "Keep going, back to back!"

Aerodactyl continued to hit Medicham with Aerial Ace with more grace and power than I thought she would have, and I had to admit Reggie did a good job. Of course, there was also...

"Ice Punch!" Mikayla ordered again.

"Spin out of the way!" I demanded. Aerodactyl did something akin to an aileron roll ( _not_ a barrel roll) and dodged the icy cold fist a second time, making Mikayla angry again. "Want to know who I got _that_ idea from?" She didn't answer; I wonder if she had an inkling. "She's the girl in pink: Brandi Skyla Thompson, a very good Coordinator who's almost won the past two Grand Festivals she's been in. Now, what was it that you called her? I'm not so sure it applies anymore."

"Oh, so now you're advocating 'the power of friendship'?" Mikayla growled. "If I recall, Shinji, the first time we met, you called me pathetic for asking to _be_ your friend!"

"I won't lie by saying I didn't say that," I agreed. "But you're also forgetting that people can change, not to mention you're conveniently skipping over the part where you _demanded_ , not asked."

Once again, she growled. "Ice Punch again!" When Medicham threw the attack, she actually hit, and Aerodactyl fell to the ground. "Now, use Hi Jump Kick!" The Fighting-Psychic type leapt into the air and began to descend towards my Pokémon, ready to strike with her knee.

If Aerodactyl was hit by that, she would be down, no question. "Aerodactyl, dodge it!" I seriously didn't believe she would, but I truly did underestimate Reggie's training, for she was able to push herself away with her short legs. Medicham crashed into the ground and cried out in pain, but she still wasn't down. "Alright, Aerodactyl, use Giga Impact!"

"Medicham, dodge!" Mikayla cried. But the Meditate Pokémon wasn't able to dodge the powerful Normal attack. Medicham flew back and landed on the ground, fainted.

"Medicham is unable to battle. The winner is Aerodactyl!"

Mikayla was _really_ pissed as she returned her fallen Pokémon, and I returned Aerodactyl at the same time. "Hey, _Shinji_ , how about _you_ bring out _your_ Pokémon _first_!" she requested in a fit.

"Sure thing," I complied nonchalantly, making her even angrier. "Toxicroak, stand by for battle!"

Toxicroak made herself known, and Mikayla's eye twitched. "Lopunny, charm up the field!" As soon as her Pokémon took the field, she shouted, "Use Charm!"

There was absolutely _no way_ I was having that four-foot rabbit hug any of _my_ Pokémon.

"Double Team!" Toxicroak made clones of herself, confusing the Normal type and buying us time. "Now use Swords Dance!"

"Another one?!" Mikayla cried as Toxicroak sharply raised her Attack.

How easy it was to make her flustered and angry. "Use Brick Break!" The clones disappeared as the one right behind Lopunny shot forward with her claw glowing white.

"Bounce, Lopunny!" The Rabbit Pokémon leapt into the air, ready to kick Toxicroak on its way down.

"Dodge and follow up with Brick Break!" Toxicroak jumped back, and right before she connected, Lopunny fought back with Dizzy Punch. Thankfully, my Pokémon quickly ducked and punched Lopunny in the stomach, sending it flying back.

Mikayla looked _extremely_ pissy but then breathed and smirked. "Hey Shinji, guess my Lopunny's ability," she giggled.

"Well, knowing you, it's Klutz," I taunted. Her smirk dropped as she cried out through clenched teeth. "That, or you're telling the truth, and you're learning the sad truth that the only male on my team right now is Weavile."

"B-but-" She shook her head and glared fiercely. "You're misogynistic! You've always been!"

"Now who said that? I'm pretty sure it wasn't me. But believe what you want to, don't let me stop you." I think she was seriously about to blow her top. "So, if we're done with the accusations, Maciel, I'd like to finish this. Toxicroak, use Brick Break again!"

"BOUNCE!" she shrieked, and the high pitched order of her Trainer got Lopunny on her feet, in the air, and landing the hit on Toxicroak all within three blinks. The attack sent my Pokémon back, but it didn't help calm Mikayla down. "THERE, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?! DID YOUR STUPID FRIENDS HELP YOU THEN?!" She cried out, and then she kept going, her voice lower but still just as angry. "Was it the retarded Coordinator?! Or maybe it was the little five-year-old! Wait, don't tell me, it was that guy, WHO'S CLEARLY A-"

Maciel said the "f" word.

It doesn't rhyme with puck.

Try maggot.

Never had I felt so _furious_. I was so enraged I actually felt calm; I wasn't seeing red or ready to punch her, I was _calm_.

"You..." I practically burned her skull with my eyes. "Who do you think you are?" The calmness in my voice made her flinch. "All because he _rejected_ you? Even if you were right, who are you to judge? Who are you to insult him like that, especially since - and I can't believe I have to remind you - we're on national television. You're just lucky you don't know his name, or I'd somehow be even more furious than I already am."

She looked like she was trying to find words, and her eyes darted around like she would find someone to help her out. "W-well, why _does_ it matter to you?!" she shot back. "You'll abandon all three of them one day! They're pathetic to you, anyway!"

"Oh, and you know this?" I hissed, my rage beginning to flow out. "I'm sorry, were _you_ the one who traveled with me for a year? Were _you_ the one who decided it was okay that I get to be friends with your two childhood best friends? _No_ , you _aren't_! You're the girl who insulted her and those two best friends, the three of only four friends I've ever had! And you're going to _pay_ for insulting them, understand?"

The snarl I made had her shivering, and she opened her mouth to retort, but I didn't let her.

"Toxicroak, finish this like **_no_** battle has been finished before!"

In any other circumstance, I would have probably been disqualified for the ruthless way Toxicroak repetitively used Brick Break.

Though, perhaps the League officials let it slide thanks to Mikayla's little bad temper.

Lopunny went down, and the ref declared me the winner. The crowd roared in excitement, and once I recalled Toxicroak I left. I didn't even say my usual, "You're pathetic" to Mikayla.

There was no reason to give her _any_ sort of acknowledgement.

As I walked out of the stadium to meet up with my friends, I tried to calm myself down. I was _beyond_ enraged; I didn't really know if there was a word that could describe me at the moment. I just kept walking, repeating the scene over and over in my head, becoming angrier with each passing second.

What finally snapped me out of it was Brendan pulling me into a hug, once again not caring about personal space.

Though, this time, I didn't care either.

Brendan had his head on my shoulder as he cried, and that didn't surprise me in the slightest. I returned the hug and let him cry for a bit before I said, "There's no reason to cry, Brendan. There are stupid people in this world, and their opinions don't matter."

"I know," he whispered, still crying, though it was fading. "And that hurt. It really, really did. But that's not what I'm crying about."

I was confused. "Then…what _are_ you crying about?" I asked. He pulled back…

And I noticed he was _smiling_.

"Because I have one of the greatest friends in the world," he answered.

All I could do was stare at him, completely baffled and in total awe before I broke my own rule and pulled him back into the hug, on the verge of tears myself.

They all thought I was a good friend. _Me_. I couldn't have ever _imagined_ being called a good friend. But at one point, in some way or another, all three of them had called me a good friend. "Brendan… I… I'm not-"

"Oh, don't pull that," he interrupted, separating again so I could see his grin. "You are. Seriously, thanks for standing up for us. That really meant a lot." I nodded, unable to open my mouth to say anything. "Now come on. The girls went to the Pokémon Center to try and convince Nurse Joy to contact the officials and have them not go so hard on Mikayla." He turned and began to run to the Center, and I followed him, baffled.

"You want them to go _easier_ on her?" I repeated, making sure I heard right. "Why?"

The Birch boy shrugged and grinned even wider. "Guess I'm too much of a softie," he admitted. "So, let's get moving. They might have a hard time, but maybe you and I can change their minds. After all, you can't exactly say no to Professor Birch's son _and_ Cynthia's cousin." I rolled my eyes but decided to agree as we quickly made our way to meet up with the girls.

Maybe, just this once, I could push my grudges aside and be the better person.

Hey, if my friends - one who helped change me - could do it, why couldn't I?


	46. A Thing Called Humility

**A/N: So, I might have forgotten to mention that the Sinnoh League arc is easily one of my favorite arcs in the entire anime. I can sit down and watch these episodes pretty much any day, so that's my reason as to why these are coming out so fast. Not to mention I did the smart thing by downloading the MP4s so I don't have to wait for internet to watch the episodes, and we're seriously almost at the end. Like... Damn, it's been two years and we're here. Feels like forever and yesterday at the same time.**

* * *

The rest of the first day passed without much incident. We learned Mikayla was banned from participating in League Tournaments for a year, though it would have originally been three if not for us.

Ash and Barry (don't ask me why I was suddenly following him) ended up getting through the first round, and none of us were battling any Trainers of interest the next day. So it's really no surprise that the second day went by in a blur. The only thing of importance was learning who my third round opponent was:

Barry Snyder of Twinleaf Town.

With that in mind, I lead my friends to the computer room to check on his stats, and-

"Wait, hold up, he's the Sinnoh Battle Tower Tycoon's son?!" I realized.

"No wonder he feels entitled," Haley muttered.

"Hey, it's not like he doesn't have merit of his own," Brandi stated. "He has some really good Pokémon. Actually, he kind of reminds me of you, Haley."

Haley raised an eyebrow. "How so?" she asked skeptically.

"See, he has kind of the same setup you do," the Coordinator pointed out. "A Water, Fire, Grass, Flying, and then a Pokémon of some other type. All he would need is an Electric type and he'd be exactly like you."

"And his Pokémon are really good, anyway," Brendan added. "Though, he's honestly predictable, at least with one of his Pokémon."

I looked for what Pokémon he was talking about, and it didn't take long for me to figure out which one Brendan had his eye on. "His Empoleon, huh?" I mused as I clicked on its bio.

"Yeah," Brendan confirmed. "See, it's participated in every battle Barry's ever been in."

That was a serious problem for both of us; for me, that meant Empoleon was powerful and that it was most likely in complete sync with its Trainer, but for Barry it meant that I could literally see its growth from a Piplup to the present...sort of.

While Pokémon themselves had to be registered at least an hour before battle, their movesets didn't need to be updated. Besides, for all we knew he _did_ have other Pokémon at his disposal, but he hadn't registered them yet. If I was careless I could end up being my own downfall. I hummed in thought.

"It's mostly about power," my friend continued, looking at Empoleon's possibly current moveset, "like its Trainer, who mainly focuses on attacking all the time, and-"

"There you are!" a familiar voice interrupted. We turned our heads to find my next opponent standing in the doorway, with Ash and his friends by his side. I focused more on Ash than I did the blond haired kid, and because of it I lost track of my third round opponent. The next thing I knew, he was by my side and looking over my shoulder at his own stats. "Paul, you're looking at my data, aren't you?"

Jeez, he's such a kid. Then again, he _was_ thirteen, according to the database, and at least _that_ wasn't out of date. And besides, compared to Mikayla, he was a _much_ better person to be around. "Yeah," I replied, deciding to play nice.

Barry looked really excited at my answer. "Now did you hear that, you guys?" he boasted (mostly to Ash and his friends; probably had something to do with a conversation we didn't know about), seeming quite proud and determined. "Paul just proved the strong know who the strong are!"

"Did you?" Brandi whispered really quietly.

"Just roll with it," I told her.

"And he's looking at my data because that's just what I am!" Barry continued to parade. Oh boy, _this_ is what I got for playing nice. Though I took a second to contemplate what could've happened had I lied, and somehow I found it worse. Barry then turned back to look at me, even prouder and more determined than before; I didn't think that was possible. "So you can come up with a strategy, correct?"

"Hold on, Kid, you're going from opponent to sideline friend," Brendan cut in. "If Paul has a strategy, he's not telling you, you know."

"Y-yeah, I do!" Barry exclaimed, looking slightly offended and embarrassed. "Who are you, anyway? No matter what, you're going to pay a fine for insulting me!"

My friend took the "fining" thing better than I _ever_ could, since he just grinned. "Name's Brendan Rick Birch," he introduced, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Troublesome didn't react at all, Brock be very impressed by Brendan's obvious high-ranking background, and Ash had the same question I had when I met Brendan.

Seriously, why BRB? That just _can't_ be a coincidence.

Suddenly Barry let out a long gasp, and he stared at Brendan with stars in his eyes. And somehow Brendan was _still_ with a grin. Props to him. "You mean _the_ Brendan Birch, as in the Battle Tower Enthusiast Brendan Birch?" the kid clarified in awe. "You're, like, second to Paul on the awesomeness scale!"

Brendan puffed out his chest and smiled proudly, not caring that I was above him in this kid's eyes. I think he was just glad people were complementing him rather than putting him down.

Oh yeah, Mikayla's comment was still affecting him; don't think that just up and vanished.

"Well, I do try," he humbled in a smug way. "And I was actually thinking of taking on Sinnoh's Battle Tower when the League is over."

"You're gonna have to beat me first!" Barry declared. "After I win the Sinnoh League I'm taking on the Battle Tower Tournament, too, and I'll win it!"

"Then you and Paul better get through this battle," Brendan told him. "He _is_ putting a strategy together, even if you aren't allowed to know, which means you better get to your own."

The kid did this weird excited chuckle-almost-cackle before pointing at me. Man, and I thought the attention could be off me for a few more minutes. Thanks, Brendan. "However! You can gather all the data you want, but it's useless!" he proclaimed.

...I'll admit it, I was confused. Though dare I say I was slightly entertained. I could feel Haley was more annoyed, and Brendan looked very amused. "You're certainly full of energy!" Brandi commented cheerfully.

Agreed.

"Really? Why?" Troublesome questioned my opponent, ignoring Brandi's observation. Though my friend didn't seem to care.

Meanwhile, Barry turned back to the group of three with a very passionate explanation. "Don't you see, every second of every hour of every _day_ I'm getting better?!" he reasoned. "Outdated data is useless!"

I sighed internally in exasperation. Sometimes I felt like he wanted to hear his own mouth run. Seemed Brock agreed with me. "Well if this were a talking tournament, you'd win first prize," he stated, sounding like he was kind of exhausted.

As usual, Barry didn't seem to get it. "Jealous," he sang, and I resisted the urge to slam the desk with my head. Then he turned back to me. Yay. "Look, Paul, the truth is our battle will determine the title of Top Trainer, so with that in mind let's give them one awesome event!"

Hold up, where did _that_ come from? We were only in the Top 16 at the moment, not to mention he was up on a seriously high Rapidash. Kid needed to be knocked down a few pegs before he got himself hurt. I stood up from the chair, and while in the back of my mind I figured I was going to get criticized again...well...

He was kind of asking for it.

"Our battle is only one of many battles taking place in the third round," I reminded him. "Overestimating your ability will only backfire on you."

Poor guy seemed really confused as my friends and I walked away to get something to eat (that kind of seemed to be our thing for the tournament). He tried to get us to stop, but the only one who did was Brandi, and she did it to address Ash. "Good luck with your battle tomorrow," she encouraged, no doubt with a huge smile.

"Thanks!" Ash replied. "I'm going up against Conway, so there's no doubt I'll have to be on my toes!"

That name sounded...eerily familiar, and it seemed Haley felt the same way. "Why do I remember that name?" she thought aloud as we walked from the computer room. After about a minute she snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah, he was Dawn's Tag Battle partner! But...why am I getting the slight shivers?"

"Thinking about me, my dear?"

Oh yeah, because he was an absolute creep.

I'm dead serious when I say he just slid in out of nowhere, making Haley and Brandi shriek. Then Haley latched onto me to the point where I thought I'd suffocate...in a good way.

Because...you know...her chest-

No, Paul, _shut up_ , you're not a damn pervert!

While I was having an...episode, Brandi literally kicked the guy fifty feet before dragging us away. "Food, Brandi, think about the food," she chanted to herself.

"Paul... I don't like him," Haley whimpered.

Hate to say it, but I couldn't decide if I agreed or not.

The next morning, Barry and I were the first battle in the main stadium (since all battles would take place there), and our battlefield was rocky terrain. Barry was eager to show off his first Pokémon, so he went first. "Alright, Skarmory, let's get going!"

It was certainly interesting to see the Steel-Flying type rather than his Staraptor. Barry didn't use his Skarmory all that often according to his data, so I was admittedly curious as to how the battle would go.

Though, with Magmortar as my opening choice, the Armor Bird Pokémon wasn't going to last very long.

Barry had the first move, and he called for Spikes. They scattered the field and sunk into the ground, waiting for me to swap out a member. I had to concede that it was a good first call on his part, but unfortunately for him, that was the only role Skarmory would play. "Magmortar, use Flamethrower!" I ordered. My Pokémon fired, and it was a direct hit.

Skarmory was down immediately, just like I thought.

My opponent was hardly fazed, though, as he recalled Skarmory and brought in his Empoleon. I wasn't surprised in the slightest when it took the field and cried out with determination. "Hydro Cannon!" Barry commanded.

Remembering what that did to Ash's Infernape in Randosel Town and that it was Empoleon's oldest move, I knew that was going to hurt.

Magmortar took the hit, and like I suspected, it did a good number on him. Continuing to use him would be foolish, and Barry knew it, which is why he looked so smug. "If you switch out your Pokémon, it'll sustain damage no matter which one you choose!" he declared, figuring I wouldn't. "Looks like you can't switch in any of them!"

A long time ago, though, back at the Oreburgh Gym, Haley said all I would ever need to say on the matter.

_No pain, no gain._

"Return!" I called out, surprising about half the audience and Barry himself.

"Hold on, you can't be serious!" he cried.

Did I _not_ look serious?

"Now Ursaring, stand by for battle!" When my Normal type took the field, the Spikes damaged him, but not enough to truly affect him. Meanwhile, Barry got over his shock and was back to smiling with determination.

"In that case, I'm switching _my_ Pokémon," he decided, and he recalled Empoleon. He brought out a Hitmonlee, something that was used even _less_ than Skarmory; according to the data, Hitmonlee had only ever appeared in three battles, with only one of those being a League Battle.

Now it had a fourth one to add to its name, and I wasn't going to let it be in victory.

"Bulk Up, let's go!" I ordered, and Ursaring raised his Attack and Defense. Though, I had to admit, unlike most of my opponents Barry wasn't discouraged by the boost.

"Hitmonlee, Mega Kick!" Barry commanded, and Hitmonlee stretched its left leg towards Ursaring with the foot glowing blue. The Fighting type was faster than I anticipated, so Ursaring ended up taking the hit.

Thanks to Bulk Up and a lot of willpower, though, Ursaring didn't look too affected. "Use Hammer Arm!" His right arm became white and he jumped for Hitmonlee, but our opponent jumped, and Ursaring only ended up hitting the ground.

"I raised my Hitmonlee's speed up to maximum levels through lots of hard training!" the kid boasted, looking quite proud.

I couldn't help admitting I was _excited_ , even if it was just a little. But, if I was getting excited over battling Barry when I had _never_ been excited during a League Battle before...

Imagine what it would be like when I faced Ash!

Thinking about it made me smirk in amusement, and it also helped remind me that I had to _make_ it to that battle with Ash. "Is that so?" I questioned, getting myself back in the mood. "Use Slash back to back!" Ursaring made his claws glow and began to pursue Hitmonlee, slashing at it repeatedly.

"Dodge, dodge, and dodge!" Barry yelled, and with any other Trainer I would have assumed them to be flustered.

As I'm sure I've established, Barry's a special case.

His Pokémon did an excellent job at following its Trainer's orders, and then Barry ordered for a Close Combat. Hitmonlee's eyes glowed red, and then it proceeded to kick Ursaring over and over. Of course, Ursaring and I weren't going to take that lying down. "Use Hammer Arm!" I shouted, and finally the move connected, sending Hitmonlee back.

"I'm counting on you, Hitmonlee!" Barry encouraged, and Hitmonlee recovered before jumping high into the sky.

The power of friendship is real, folks, and I can't exactly call anyone out on it anymore. Not unless I want to be the biggest hypocrite and douche in the world.

"Alright, Hi Jump Kick!" Hitmonlee extended its left leg again, and Ursaring jumped back to dodge it. What neither of us realized was how the extended leg had been a diversion for the right knee to connect with Ursaring's stomach.

I couldn't back down, though, not in the slightest. "Focus Blast!" My Pokémon charged up the attack and fired it. Hitmonlee tried to dodge, but it ended up taking the hit. "Let's finish this up with Hammer Arm!" Ursaring made both of his arms glow and went to strike our opponent down.

But Barry wasn't done, either. He was out to prove why he was here in the Top 16, so he had Hitmonlee counter my attack with a powerful one of its own. "Use Blaze Kick!" he ordered.

Hitmonlee once again proved itself to be faster, dodging both of Ursaring's arms and landing its hit, making my Normal type slide back. Then Ursaring was surrounded by flames, indicating he had been burned.

For any other Pokémon, they would be doing half damage.

For Ursaring, he was going to do double.

Instantly, the Twinleaf Trainer realized this, and he went to finish Ursaring off quickly. "Finish it off with Blaze Kick!" he shouted, and his Fighting type lit its foot on fire again.

"Use Hammer Arm now!" I commanded, not wanting Ursaring to get hit again. Thankfully, this time the moves collided, and when the smoke cleared both of our Pokémon were still standing.

At least, for a few seconds.

"Hitmonlee is unable to battle. Ursaring's the winner!"

With one of my Pokémon at full health and the other two able to battle if they really needed to, Barry was in a tight spot. Though once again, I had to note he didn't look discouraged. He brought Empoleon back out, and I decided to keep Ursaring in. "Ursaring, quick, use Slash, let's go!"

Hold on, before you call that a stupid move, have some food for thought: STAB, Bulk Up, Guts, and a higher chance of critical hits.

Ursaring went to claw at the Water-Steel type, but Barry had his own move in mind. "Drill Peck!" Empoleon spun, made its beak glow, and rushed at Ursaring. The moves collided, causing more smoke to appear. As soon as it cleared, I had Ursaring use Focus Blast. "Send it back!" Barry yelled, and using Steel Wing like a bat, Empoleon ended up hitting Ursaring with our own move.

Damn it, so close to just sweeping the rest with Ursaring.

Barry wanted Ursaring to stay, challenging us to everything he had. Of course, I'm not that stupid, and I recalled Ursaring, surprising my opponent again. "Electivire, stand by for battle!" Once again my Pokémon took Spikes damage, but he easily shook it off.

"Yeah, there's my man Electivire!" I heard Brendan cheer over the crowd. I rolled my eyes and made a face that was something in between a scowl and a grin. "Take the win, dude!"

Electivire nodded to his temporary Trainer before focusing on Empoleon. "Pokémon types and advantages won't matter with this move!" Barry insisted. "Alright, Hyper Beam!"

Reckless. Completely and utterly reckless.

Empoleon fired, and I had Electivire counter with Thunder. The two moves collided, and the smoke cleared again. The Water-Steel type was panting, needing to recharge after using the Normal type move. I used that to my advantage. "Now use Thunder Punch!"

Despite its condition, Empoleon could at least dodge, and Barry began to boast again. "See that?" he exclaimed. "My Empoleon's speed is at the maximum level it can be!" He looked very smug as he continued. "It's not such an easy moving target."

_How about we put that to the test?_ I thought.

"Thunder Punch, back to back!" I ordered, catching Barry off guard. Empoleon now had to dodge both of Electivire's fists, and _now_ was when his Trainer began to panic.

"Dodge them all, Empoleon, dodge them all!" But as soon as he said that, his Pokémon was up against a rock with nowhere to go.

"Use Giga Impact!" I commanded, deciding to end the match with Electivire's most powerful attack. He charged, and Empoleon crashed through the rock and fell onto the ground. With how long it took to stand back up, Electivire was able to move again. "Thunder Punch, let's go!" This time, my Pokémon connected his move, and Empoleon flew through three rocks before slamming into a sturdier one and falling face first onto the ground.

"Empoleon..." Barry whimpered, and it honestly looked like he was on the verge of tears. But he immediately picked himself right back up. "You can do it! YOU CAN DO IT!"

There's that friendship thing again, and it still occurred to me I had to keep my mouth shut from now on.

Filled with vigor, Empoleon stood up and cried out, glowing oceanic blue. Torrent had been activated, which meant all of its Water type attacks were raised in power.

And they only had one. A very _devastating_ one.

"Alright, Hydro Cannon, let's go!" Barry shouted, and Empoleon fired. The Water type Hyper Beam was clearly more powerful than before, and there was no way Electivire would survive like Magmortar did if I just let him take it.

"Quick, Electivire, use Protect!" I yelled, and he had the barrier up just in time.

"Alright, so what's the big idea with using Protect?!" Barry complained. Hey, to be fair, I would be agitated, too. But I wasn't here to play nice, and with Empoleon needing another recharge, I took the opportunity, not when I had missed so many beforehand.

"Use Thunder NOW!" I ordered fiercely. Electivire fired quickly.

"AND DODGE IT!" Barry cried. But Empoleon was just too drained to move this time.

Empoleon took it like a champ, though.

It just stood there and accepted fate. Once the attack ended, knowing his Pokémon was going to collapse, Barry ran to it, crying out its name.

"Empoleon is unable to battle. And the winner is Paul Shinji from Veilstone City!"

The crowd roared in excitement, and I returned Electivire while Barry held his starter and congratulated it. Then he brought it back to its Poké Ball, and out of the corner of my eye I saw him watching me bow to the ref and walking away.

Brandi sighed in exhaustion when I met up with her and the others but immediately perked back up. "Man, that was so cool!" she squealed. "I think my heart skipped a couple of beats there!"

"That was a really great battle," Brendan complimented with a grin. "And Electivire looks awesome!"

"You're only saying that because you helped evolve him," I countered.

Brendan chuckled, not looking down in the slightest. "I won't say I'm not biased," he replied.

"Hey, come on, the next battle starts in a few minutes," Haley stated. "Let's go find some good seats while everyone's getting food and merchandise." We agreed.

We watched the next battle in complete disbelief. I honestly didn't know how I had avoided hearing about this guy the whole time.

Tobias.

He's one scary-looking guy, if I'll be honest. With long grayish-blue hair covering one eye, these light green narrow eyes, and a red cape covering most of his outfit, I found myself lucky I hadn't battled him, and then immediately knocked on wood to make sure I never would. Because, the thing is, he had a Darkrai. A _Darkrai_. And he did a _complete_ sweep of his opponent's team with it.

There was no way I was going another minute without knowing who the hell this guy was.

Unfortunately, what I learned when I logged onto the computers in the room was that there was _barely_ any info on the guy. No age, no hometown, not even a last name. It was like he just...existed, like he was here just to screw us all over. And he could do it easily, too.

"He...won all eight badges...with just his Darkrai," Brendan squeaked, his eyes really wide. Like, sun-sized.

"Not just that," Haley added, sounding kind of scared. "He's doesn't have _any_ other Pokémon registered. He's only ever needed his Darkrai."

"Paul... I don't like him," Brandi whimpered.

That was definitely unanimous.

To get our minds off the man, we had lunch and then watched the last two battles, which were much more standard and therefore much more welcomed. When the last battle ended, the sun was beginning to set, so we made our way back to our room.

"Paul."

That was probably the calmest I had ever heard Barry, and I couldn't help but stop and turn to look at him. My friends stopped, too, and we found Barry running up to us with Ash and his group looking on. The Twinleaf Town Trainer stopped a few feet from us, and after a few seconds, he smiled.

"I lost," he stated, "but I gave it my all, so I can honestly say right here I have no regrets."

He was being...humble, something I certainly wasn't expecting from him anytime soon. I decided to be truthful with him, crushing the tiny voice in my head saying that there could be major consequences. "It was a great battle," I admitted.

Barry was surprised by my answer. "You think?" he questioned. After a couple of seconds, he seemed very happy and excited at the same time, yet it was toned down from his usual hyperactive nature. "Wow, that's awesome!" He gave me a thumps-up. "So let's battle again someday to see who's the world's Top Trainer!"

Well, there it was again, but it somehow...wasn't as annoying as before. Not to mention it wasn't really like before when he was being rude to pretty much everyone ever. And because of it, I found myself replying, "Alright."

"Hey, don't forget you have to battle me before then," Brendan cut in. "I better see that enthusiasm when we battle at your dad's Battle Tower."

"You bet!" the younger Trainer promised. "But before _that_ , Haley has to beat the Elite Four Run, and it's going to be awesome, I know it!"

Haley looked surprised. "Wait, I thought you didn't care," she remembered.

"I was being an idiot!" he cried. "I've never seen an Elite Four Run before, and I'm really excited to see it! You better win or I'm fining you big time!"

There was silence before Haley began giggling. "Understood, Barry!" she exclaimed. Then she smiled simply. "Of course, before **_that_** , Ash and Paul have to battle each other."

"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "Once I beat Conway, you better watch out, Paul!"

I would have responded, but I think "Conway" is the new "Candle Jack".

"Remember, my ticket to victory is my secret strategy," he commented in this creepy snicker.

Three very creeped out girls punched that guy fifty feet into the air, and this time I had no problem saying I hated him, too.

...

Because all of the battles were taking place in the main stadium, the next four battles took place the following day, and the last battle of the day was Ash's. Originally I wanted to train, but Brandi convinced me otherwise, which also had me seeing that weird expression on Haley again.

How many times could I possibly tell myself I was only seeing things?

We got to the stadium a bit late, so we ended up at the very top of the stadium on the walkway, watching over the railing. "Alright, go Ash!" Haley cheered. A little shiver of jealousy shot down my spine before I mentally slapped myself. "Beat that creep!"

"Yeah, you can do it!" Brandi added.

"Scream all you want, guys, but I don't think he'll hear you," Brendan chuckled.

"Remind me to keep my mouth shut at the next Battle Tower Tournament, then," Haley grumbled. I sighed.

The battle between Ash and Conway was more about outsmarting the opponent than actual strength, since Ash had to constantly figure out how to get passed all of the buffs and conditions his opponent put in place like Withdraw, Power Trick, Mean Look, and Trick Room. Ash, though, had the advantage since he knew how to improvise, leaving Conway flustered pretty much every time.

Guess he was the type of guy who missed the forest for the trees.

Ash won after a long, tough battle, and my friends celebrated. I just turned to the screen, waiting to see who would be my fourth round opponent. It was honestly nerve wracking watching those pictures shuffle around to be paired up. They finally stopped.

And the final six-on-six match of the day would go to Ash and I.

"Well, tomorrow's definitely going to be interesting," Brendan decided.

Brandi whined in frustration. "Why tomorrow afternoon?" she complained. "I want to see you fight, like, right now!"

"That's the luck of the draw," Haley commented. "And that also gives us time to get everyone all ready to go, right Paul?" I nodded, and she smiled. "Come on, let's get dinner and think this over."

I'll be the first to admit prep didn't go as smoothly as usual.

"I don't what I'm going to do!" I cried after we ordered, finally getting that off my chest.

My friends looked at me, baffled. "That's a first," Haley finally piped up.

"It's just... Ash is completely different from any opponent I've ever faced," I explained, "and he won't be holding back this time. Not to mention I've never wanted to win so badly!"

Brendan folded his arms and closed his eyes as he thought, and it looked like he was thinking pretty hard. Suddenly his eyes flew back open, and he slammed the table. "Have scouts!" he advised.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Scouts! One or two Pokémon that go out into battle for the sake of getting a feel for your opponent!" he informed. "I do it all the time in Battle Towers when the match isn't 1v1, and it works almost all the time. What you do is force your opponent to switch out enough of their team so that you get the general idea of what Pokémon they have. Of course, there are always a few curveballs-"

"But if I can take down most of his Pokémon _before_ the curveball and with most of mine still intact, it wouldn't matter," I concluded.

"Exactly!" Brendan agreed. "So now what we need to is come up with your team, and from there we can pick the scouts." I nodded.

By the time dinner was over, we had five of my six Pokémon chosen and two scouts, but I couldn't for the life of me think of a sixth member to battle Ash. Haley pointed out that we still had the rest of the afternoon and night to figure it out and that we should take a break by calling Reggie and getting the team members I definitely knew I wanted.

"I'd say that's a pretty good lineup," Reggie complimented when I told it to him. "And I think I have the perfect Pokémon for your sixth member."

"Who?" I inquired.

"You'll see," he chuckled. "I'll send it last, okay?" Confused but deciding to play along, I nodded and began swapping Pokémon except for Electivire. The last Poké Ball came to me, and I picked it up, studying the object. Then I released it, and my jaw dropped.

"You... You're giving me your _Drapion_?" I realized, staring at the Poison-Dark type I had known since I was six.

Reggie beamed. "Yep! I've been wanting to give him to you for a while," he revealed. My eyes were wide. "He's powerful, no doubt, but he also hasn't battled since I took on Brandon." I remembered that, along with how Drapion had gone down the easiest. Then again, he _had_ been Reggie's last Pokémon. I wouldn't be surprised if my brother was running on fumes like I had. "So, what do you think? Do you like the idea?"

"I..." For about a minute, I couldn't find words. Then I finally stopped admiring Drapion and nodded. "I'll take him," I said.

He beamed again. "Sounds good!" he replied. "Call me in the morning, alright?" I nodded, and with a wave he hung up.

"Well, look at that," Brendan stated. "You have a full team now, and a pretty damn good one if I do say so myself."

"We should start fine tuning them right now," Haley advised. "And we should probably let your scouts know what's in store for them."

"Right," I responded, and we walked out of the Pokémon Center to begin preparations.

Tomorrow, one of us was dropping out of the Sinnoh League Tournament. And whoever it was, we weren't leaving without one hell of a bang.


	47. The Battle of Equals I

**A/N: Oh, and this has to be my favorite battle, like... _EVER_. I'm going to try and give it the justice it deserves, but I do recommend that - if you watch _any_ episodes of the anime - it's DP 186, 187, and 188. Yeah, _three episodes_ of a downright kickass battle.**

* * *

We woke up early the next morning, ready to get my Pokémon trained and rested before the battle. That was when I remembered I had promised Reggie I would call him, and I told my friends to take my team and start without me. At first they disagreed, wanting to say hi as well, but I insisted on a private conversation between the two of us. Haley agreed, and she ushered our friends out the door, with the other two complaining the whole way. I chuckled lightly before I finished getting ready and headed over to the Pokémon Center.

"Good morning!" Reggie greeted, chipper as always, even at 6:30 in the morning. Staraptor and Swalot were behind him, both of them smiling as well. "I figured you wouldn't call."

"Hilarious," I sighed. My older brother laughed.

"So, are you feeling up to today?" he asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I proclaimed.

He smiled even bigger. "That's the spirit," he encouraged. Then his smile became sad and apologetic. "I wish I could be there."

"I know, but you have work," I pointed out. I'd never be so selfish to ask him to drop everything just to watch me battle, especially since he could just watch it on TV.

Reggie's smile went back to normal as he nodded. "Now, I think I know the answer, but I just want to make sure," he said. "Have you given any thought to changing your lineup?"

"I'm keeping it as is," I informed. "Otherwise I'd have to call my friends back when they're already starting their training."

"Should have guessed," he chuckled. "I'm really happy for you."

Well, that sure came out of nowhere. "Uh, for what?" I questioned, not sure exactly what he meant by that.

"That you and Ash got to know each," he answered. He put on a slight grin. "There's not another Trainer who's influenced you the way he does."

"But, what about-"

"Would you have even _met_ Haley if it weren't for Ash?" Reggie pointed out.

_No_ , I realized. It was because of our first battle and how he had just annoyed me so much with his upbeat pathetic attitude that I ended up shaking the bench at the Pokémon Center, which got Haley to call me out on it.

And that battle wouldn't have happened if it weren't for one simple statement.

_That's a Volt Tackle!_

Ash had been separated from his Pikachu, and he had asked me if I had seen a girl with him. I hadn't, though even if I had, I know for a fact I would have said no. And when I requested a three-on-three battle with him, Ash couldn't for obvious reasons, and being the ass I was (and still...kind of am) I called him pathetic and began walking away. Off in the distance, an Electric type attack went off.

_That's a Volt Tackle!_

It had me curious, and knowing I was near Sandgem Town and therefore Professor Rowan's lab, I went there to hopefully have the old man lead me in the right direction.

Little did I know that decision to wait outside the lab would turn into what it did.

"I have one last thing to tell you," he continued, suddenly looking very serious.

"What?"

"Paul... Win this," he ordered. "Don't underestimate Ash's skill." Then my brother smirked. "Then win the whole thing."

I smiled, filled with pride at the thought of Reggie having my back. He was friends with Ash, sure, but I came first, and it made me happier than it ever had. "I will," I promised.

His smile returned, looking just as proud as I felt. No matter what, Reggie was behind me, even if I lost, and my heart swelled. "Later, Paul," he said before hanging up. I turned to the door, only to stop and realize I had an eavesdropper.

Troublesome.

She looked around the lobby, as if she were looking for another person I could possibly be looking for. Not even Nurse Joy was at the front desk. Realizing it wasn't possible to worm her way out of the situation, she stood up from her crouching position - revealing her Piplup in her arms wearing the most ridiculous outfit - and laughed nervously. Not really caring to talk, I decided to let it drop and began to walk out.

"That was Reggie you were talking to," she realized, and I sighed inwardly. Who _else_ did it sound like? "So, is he coming here today?" Apparently she had come later in the conversation, though it wasn't as if I was going to answer her anyway.

"So how's _he_ doing?" I inquired, not stopping or looking at her.

"Uh, you mean, how is Ash?" she clarified, sounding confused. Who _else_ would I be interested in? Suddenly Troublesome ran after me but stayed a little bit behind me. "Wait! If you ask a question, don't you want to hear the answer?"

Fair point.

"Ash is doing some last minute training with his Pokémon," she informed. "Want me to go get him?"

Why would I want that? All I asked was how he was doing. I stopped walking for a bit, and so did she. "Please don't," I decided to reply politely. "There's no need."

"Why did you ask about him, then?" she brought up, once again bringing forward a fair point.

"I... don't know," I answered, beginning my walk again.

"Oh great," I heard her mumble before she began to walk after me again.

To be honest, though, I wanted to talk to her. Not because of anything special; there wasn't exactly anything special about Troublesome. It was just that I wanted to talk to _someone_ , and at the moment she was there. The thing was, however, I didn't know what to say. Okay, that's a lie. I _knew_ what I wanted to say, but how was I supposed to tell her? Hell, how would I have told anyone else? Only Reggie and Haley would get me to come out with the full answer without restrictions, and even then, I wasn't sure if I would _want_ to. Because _I_ barely believed what I was thinking.

...That sounds like I'm hinting at being gay or bi, doesn't it? I swear, that wasn't the intention.

"I just don't like him," I finally began, although I really should have said _didn't_. "He talks just like my brother. Friends, trust..." Things that, for me at one point, didn't exist. Or, if they did, weren't genuine. "My brother says those things all the time, too." And what had I hated about Ash sounding like Reggie when I first met him? That it reminded me of the last time I had seen my brother in person, when I thought he had turned his back on me.

"But Paul," Troublesome piped up, sounding concerned, "Ash isn't Reggie. Ash is Ash, and that's that."

I always knew that, but now I understood it.

They were very similar, with their talks of friends and having many of them to have examples of such. They were similar in how they treated their Pokémon, too. But Reggie had been forced to grow up too fast to be a father figure to me, and he hid his tears with smiles. And Ash forced himself to essentially have bipolar personalities...

Not to mention he was my rival.

Once, it was self-proclaimed by him. Now, I would never be able to imagine having a better one.

Barry called out my name, sounding very far away, and it snapped me out of thought. Troublesome and I stopped as Ash called out as well and waved, then he began to run over to us.

"Look, Ash is like any other Trainer I'd have to battle in the quarter-finals," I stated, which was only a half truth. Sure, I would be focused and give it my all, but no one could _challenge_ me like he could. "And I'm gonna have to beat him if I want to win the Sinnoh League."

Ash stopped in front of us, and Troublesome looked between him and I before quickly jogging to his side, laughing nervously again, like it was a crime to be walking with the opposition. At the same time, Haley came from the trees on my left side, her heading turning like she was looking for something. Her eyes landed on me, and she smiled at me before noticing the others.

"Oh, morning, Ash!" she greeted. "You too, Dawn!"

"Morning!" he responded. Troublesome looked like she was still ashamed for reasons I still didn't understand, especially since Ash seemed eager to talk, anyways.

"Hey Dawn, what were you doing with Paul?" Barry asked. "Bet you were trying to figure out which Pokémon he's going to use, huh?"

She turned her head to look at him. " _No_ ," she grumbled. " _Wro-ong_." Her Piplup chirped in agreement. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something flash across Haley's face.

_Alright, as soon as I get the chance, I'm saying something,_ I decided. _This is getting ridiculous, not to mention_ _ **we've been over this**_ _._

"Cynthia's going to be watching, Paul," Ash reminded, directing my attention to him. "Let's make it a great battle!"

"Pika-Pika!" his Pokémon chimed in.

"I plan to," I promised.

"And the first step to that is getting off your lazy butt and following me," Haley directed. "We've been waiting for you."

I looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "I thought I told you guys to start without me," I pointed out.

"We did, and then you took too long," she replied with a smile. "So come on, already. Brandi's running serious circles just to burn off her excitement."

Why wasn't I surprised? "Alright, let's go," I told her. Haley nodded, and we started to walk off.

"When every life...meets another life...something will be born," Troublesome suddenly quoted. We stopped, and I wondered why she said it.

"Hold on, I didn't know you were a poet!" Barry cried. I resisted the urge to groan.

"It's a quote from a Sinnoh legend Cynthia used to describe Ash and Paul," Brock thankfully corrected.

"But you want to know something," Troublesome continued, "I've always wondered what that _something_ is."

Somehow, someway, I felt like I had found an answer, and it was all thanks to a trio of idiots and a night in the forest.

No matter how much we denied it afterwards.

"Well, maybe we'll figure it out in today's battle!" Haley declared, looking excitedly in the direction of the rising sun.

"I agree!" the younger girl exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Barry was furious at not understanding what was going on, and I tuned him out as I turned to my rival and said, "Ash, I'll see you on the battlefield."

He smiled, looking excited and determined. "Right," he agreed.

All of us separated, and I found my chance to talk to Haley. "Can I ask you something?"

Haley looked at me. "Shoot," she allowed.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"Something wrong?" she repeated. Her head tilted in thought. "Not that I can think of. Why?"

"Well, you had this look towards Troublesome." Haley gulped, and I sighed, realizing I had been right. "Haley, we've talked about this before. And my mind hasn't changed since then."

"I know," she replied, looking towards the ground. "I don't know why I did it."

"Because it's not really about her, is it?"

Now Haley jumped, her eyes wide. "Wh-why would y-you say that?" she stuttered.

"Honestly, it was just a guess." She blinked and made a noise of confusion and nervousness. "But judging from your reaction, I'm right." I turned to her. "Haley, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer, and then she completely turned away from me so I was looking at her back. "You wouldn't want to hear about it," she muttered.

"Of course I do," I insisted.

"You'll hate me afterwards."

"I could never hate you." My friend turned her head, looking unsure and downcast, and I struggled to figure out a way to make her believe me. Something came to mind, and when it did, my heart began to race. I sighed again to calm myself before I offered a proposition. "If I win, you have to tell me what's been bugging you. And if Ash wins..." I took a breath. "If Ash wins, I'll tell you something I've been meaning to say for a long time now."

But I knew I was lying.

Today... I was going to tell her no matter what.

"Okay," she agreed quietly. "But... Paul." Finally her smile came back, and I waited for what she had to say. "No matter the outcome, and as long as you give it all you've got, I'll be proud."

About a second passed before I smiled back. "Thank you." Haley smiled even bigger, and we began to walk again.

I don't know exactly what possessed me to do so, but I grabbed her hand and laced her fingers in mine. I was absolutely positive she would question it or pull away or something, but instead she squeezed my hand, wincing slightly because it was her left one, but she didn't seem to care in the slightest. It made my heart leap and a small grin appear on my face.

Even if I lost today, as long as it was a good battle, I had a feeling I wouldn't care. For more reasons than one.

...

The day went by slowly and quickly at the same time, and by about noon I was a bit antsy, too. When the third battle was halfway over, Butterfrees entered my stomach in anticipation, and soon Brendan poked my shoulder. "Hey, Twitchy, you're kind of rocking the whole bench with your foot tapping," he noted.

Huh, how nostalgic.

"Sorry," I replied, but this time it was harder to get my leg to stop.

"Hey, there's no need to be nervous, Paul," Brandi stated. She beamed. "You'll do great!"

"It's not that I'm nervous," I corrected. "I'm excited. Like, _really_ excited, and I just want to get to our battle already."

Haley watched the battle intently and suddenly cheered, "Alakazam, you can do it!"

"Why are you rooting for the Alakazam?" Brandi asked. "Is it because the Trainer's cute?"

"I just picked a side, okay?" she retorted, looking furious and embarrassed. Meanwhile, I had another shiver of jealously. "It's either it or the Blissey, and I felt like rooting for Alakazam!"

"Though Brandi's right on him being cute," Brendan stated slyly.

Since Haley was too far away, I punched his arm for her.

Alakazam's stupid Trainer lost, anyway. Take that, asshole.

But those thoughts immediately when I realized my battle was finally here. My friends wished me luck and gave me encouragement as I went to the platform that would raise me up to the field. As I stepped on, I took a deep breath and kept opening and closing my hands. I had never felt so overwhelmingly excited before, and it was hitting me like a tidal wave.

If I didn't collect myself, the battle would be over before it began.

Thankfully, I somehow managed to calm myself just as the platform began to rise, and I discovered that Ash and I would be battling on a plain dirt field. Ash stared in determination before looking at Pikachu and smiling, saying something to him. Pikachu nodded and then took to the field, electricity coming from his cheeks.

"Aggron, stand by for battle!" My recently evolved Pokémon took to the field and roared, ready to take on his role as my first scout.

And with the first move given to me, the battle finally began.

"Now Aggron, go use Metal Claw!" I ordered. Pikachu countered with Iron Tail, and the two attacks canceled each other out, with neither of out Pokémon looking worse for wear. So if attack directly wasn't going to work, I went for something else. "Use Metal Sound!"

Oh how Haley was going to hate me for this.

Aggron's horns started to glow white, and then they moved back and forth quickly, causing a loud ringing sound to be released. The horns then released light blue sound waves from them at Pikachu, which not only lowered his Special Defense, but had him and his Trainer flinching from the loud noise. It probably wasn't going well for Haley or Troublesome's Piplup, either.

"Alright, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled over the noise, and his Electric type fired a powerful shot, stopping Aggron's attack. "Now use Volt Tackle!"

"Aggron, Flash Cannon!" I ordered, and he fired his own attack, but instead of hitting Pikachu directly, the beam hit the ground in his path. The Mouse Pokémon rolled on the ground but then got to his feet and skidded to a stop.

Deciding Pikachu had enough for now, Ash called him back, and his loyal starter rejoined his side, which was of course falling into my trap. Ash petted Pikachu, and then he pulled out a Poké Ball. "Alright, you're up next!" he declared, throwing the Poké Ball, and a second later the Pokémon appeared.

Infernape.

Seeing him standing before me, I had to wonder how much stronger he had become. That was definitely Ash's intention, and my old Pokémon nodded at his Trainer's plan to show me what I wanted to know. But in order to do that, we had to battle, and I called for the attack. "Aggron, use Double Edge!" He glowed a light yellow and charged towards Infernape.

"Alright, Flare Blitz, let's go!" Ash commanded. The move certainly got my attention as Infernape surrounded himself in a blazing blue fire and meeting Aggron halfway. They too canceled each other out, but Infernape took recoil damage.

Meanwhile, I was glad I got an Aggron with Rock Head.

Too bad that, instead, he got inflicted with burn.

"Now Infernape, use Mach Punch!"

There was no way Aggron was dodging or getting an attack off before the Fire-Fighting type reached him, but damn if I wouldn't try. "Flash Cannon!" I shouted. My Pokémon began to charge, but before he was even halfway, Infernape landed a clean right hook to his face, sending him flying into the wall behind me and fainting as a result.

And I only knew two of Ash's Pokémon, both of which were kind of predictable. Shit.

I recalled Aggron and swapped his Poké Ball for another one. I tried not to let the choice bother me, but there was just a small part of me that couldn't help it.

XXX

_"And that's what the first two Pokémon I send out will do," I concluded to the team of five. I figured whoever I picked for my sixth team member, I wouldn't want to use it as one of the scouts. "So, I decided to be fair and let two of you volunteer. I suggest you take the offer; you know I don't hand an option like this every day."_

_For a while, none of them agreed, and I understood why. This was a battle against_ _**Ash Ketchum** _ _; everyone wanted to battle his team with as much effort as they could. But then, Gastrodon slithered forwards, looking very determined. "Gas, Gastro," it cried._

_I was surprised. "You... You want to?" I questioned. It wasn't that I thought Gastrodon couldn't do a good job, but rather I didn't really want to put my second catch - the Pokémon that I had as a Shellos and almost as long as Torterra - in such a position._

_But Gastrodon didn't mind at all and just nodded with a fierce look in its eyes. "Paul, if she wants to, let her," Haley insisted._

_Funny how I had a female Pokémon on my team from the beginning and didn't even notice._

_So caved in, nodding in agreement. "Alright, Gastrodon, do a good job out there," I instructed._

_"Gastro."_

XXX

"Gastrodon, stand by for battle!"

The Water-Ground type took the field, and thinking she was there to actually take Infernape on, Ash recalled him. "Staraptor, I choose you!" Ash called out.

Hold on... Was his team... No, I couldn't make assumptions just yet. One more Pokémon would confirm my suspicion.

But if I was right, Ash was planning on using the six Pokémon that had battled at Lake Acuity.

Deciding I would find out later, I ordered Gastrodon to use Muddy Water. As Gastrodon gathered water underneath her body, Ash went on the offensive. "Staraptor, use Quick Attack!" he ordered, and his Flying type zipped towards my Pokémon. The attack hit, but that wasn't going to stop us.

Besides, we had something special to show him.

"Gastrodon, let's go!" I encouraged. She stopped herself from sliding back any further and then extended her neck. Six pillars of water went into the sky, three each to create two circles of water, and Ash instantly realized what I had done.

"Could that be... Counter Shield?!" he questioned in shock.

I told Haley a Pokémon didn't have to spin in order to do this maneuver.

Ash quickly recovered, and judging from his eyes darting around he was looking for a way to stop Gastrodon's use of Muddy Water. His eyes quickly moved away, but I saw where he looked, and I instantly had a counter. After all, I had warned Haley about vulnerability during a Counter Shield, and I'd look like a hypocrite if I didn't have a backup plan.

"Aerial Ace!" he shouted, and just as I thought, Staraptor went for Gastrodon's exposed belly.

Smirking, I ordered Gastrodon to use Body Slam. She stopped Muddy Water and jumped up before squishing Staraptor underneath her and pinning him down. Ash's Flying type struggled to get out of the hold, and while he did, I had Gastrodon do something else.

"Alright, use Water Pulse and shoot it straight up!" I ordered. My Pokémon looked to the sky and fired the sphere up high, and once it reached its highest point, it began to race back down, gaining strength and speed as it did. Gastrodon prepared to jump off, and she admittedly looked a little scared, like she was going to fail at the timing. But that's what I was there for. "No, not yet, Gastrodon." I saw her nod just a tad, and meanwhile Ash seemed to figure out what my plan was.

Once again his brain was turning gears, trying to find a way out of the predicament he was in. But this time, I saw no counter to it, so I smirked with surefire confidence. Suddenly Ash gasped, "I've got it!" Leave it to him to find the possible in impossible. "Alright, Staraptor, use Close Combat by banging hard on the ground!"

Well, shit.

Staraptor pushed Gastrodon up high enough so that his wings and talons had just enough room to begin the attack. He unfortunately dislodged Gastrodon and flew away just as Water Pulse hit the ground, but I wasn't about to give up. I still needed to see at least one Pokémon to confirm my theory. "Ice Beam, let's go!" I commanded. The Water-ground type recovered and fired, and thankfully the beam was fast enough to hit Staraptor and send him crashing to the ground.

"Staraptor, return!" Ash recalled his dazed Pokémon and grabbed another Poké Ball. "Buizel, I choose you!"

You _cannot_ be serious.

He really was using his team from Lake Acuity.

"Wow, you're pathetic _and_ predictable," I stated bitterly, my smirk matching my irritation. Ash waited for an explanation, his left eye twitching a tad in annoyance. Yeah, as if he had a right to be annoyed. "So you're trying to turn the frustration your Pokémon felt when I beat you _then_ into your advantage _now_. That's why you're using the same Pokémon this time!"

Did I not make it clear last time that I wanted him to throw me for a loop and _not_ be an open book?

But Ash smiled, almost smirking, as if he knew _exactly_ what he was doing. "Right, Paul!" he answered with confidence. "This is just what my Pokémon and I all want." Then he frowned, looking very serious. "We may have lost to you once, but it's not over, cause I'm beating you no matter what, get it?!"

Translation: even if his team was predictable, their moves wouldn't be.

Ash better have been right.

"Alright, Ice Beam!" I ordered.

"We'll take that Ice Beam and use Aqua Jet!" Ash declared.

Whatever he meant by that, I was about to find out.

Buizel coated himself in water and then shot towards Gastrodon, intercepting the Ice Beam along the way and freezing the water completely solid. But instead of dropping to the ground, the Aqua Jet kept going, using the momentum it had to hit Gastrodon and send her flying into the air.

Deciding to use that to my advantage, I shouted, "Use Body Slam!" She spread her body out and began to drop down towards Buizel.

However, Ash decided to use _that_ to his advantage. "Now, use Ice Punch!" he commanded, and Buizel's icy fist connected with Gastrodon's exposed underside, causing her to faint.

Though, and as much as I hated to say it with one of my oldest partners down, it wasn't a huge loss.

Now that I knew Ash's team, I had a pretty good feeling I could win.

Returning Gastrodon, I looked at her Poké Ball, and I couldn't help but think, _You did a good job, old pal._ I looked back at Ash, who was very determined, not cocky.

Maybe there really _was_ nothing to worry about.

"Drapion, stand by for battle!" There was this feeling of accomplishment and still a little disbelief that I was using one of Reggie's Pokémon, especially one that I had gotten to know since I was little. In fact, I had Drapion to thank for my love of Dark types, and I always did want one of my own. Ash's stupid Gligar had canceled those plans, but now my oldest friend was in my possession instead.

Huh... So do I thank Gliscor now?

Our opponent decided to keep the Pokémon he had out, and I decided to move first. "Drapion, Pin Missile!" The white stream of pins flew towards the Water type erratically, causing Ash to be flustered for about a second. He quickly snapped himself out of it.

"Alright, Buizel, use Water Gun!"

That only meant he was using Counter Shield.

Of course, that was the point, and I kept going through with the plan I had quickly put together. "Drapion, use Cross Poison!" He crossed his arms together and released a purple "X" at the spinning Buizel.

"Now, Buizel, use Sonic Boom! Go!" Ash directed. His Pokémon stopped the Water Gun and dodged the Cross Poison by circling around Drapion. Then he jumped up, thinking he was clever in hitting Drapion from behind.

Not realizing that Drapion could use his tail to his advantage.

His tail smashed the shockwave out of existence, and while Buizel and his Trainer looked on in shock, Drapion's tail extended and grabbed the unevolved Water type, roping him towards my Pokémon. Buizel struggled in the tail's hold for a bit before stopping to watch in horror as Drapion revealed his other unique feature:

The ability to turn his head 180 degrees.

Suddenly Buizel began struggling even harder, trying his best to escape. But Drapion has a pretty strong grip, and I'm speaking from experience, though I knew the grip my brother's old Pokémon had wasn't out of affection. Seeing that his Pokémon wasn't getting out on his own any time soon, Ash decided to help by calling for another Sonic Boom. "Grab Buizel's tail!" I countered, and Drapion's left claw had the twin tails in its grip.

Once again, those gears were turning in Ash's head, and after a few seconds, he had an idea. Whatever it was, I had a plan to counter it and pretty much stop Ash in his tracks. "Inflate your flotation sac, quick!" he shouted, and I perked up a bit, admitting that the idea was quite clever.

It wouldn't change anything, though.

Buizel nodded and expanded the sac around his neck before deflating it - allowing him to slip out of the now much wider grip - and using Water Gun on Drapion's arm to get away. But while Buizel was in the air, I made my decisive move. "Toxic Spikes."

Wow, okay, that came out kind unnervingly calm and spooky.

Nevertheless, Drapion turned his head around again before firing a purple orb from his mouth into the sky that unleashed poisonous spikes onto the field. Once Buizel landed, he was damaged and inflicted with poison, cringing in pain. "Pin Missile!" I ordered again, and this time the attack hit Buizel directly, earning my first victory of the match.

Wanting to avoid touching the ground, Ash brought out Staraptor, as I figured he would. Damn it, sometimes I feel like I'm _too_ good. "Staraptor, careful of Drapion's tail!" Ash warned.

I'd make sure he would have no choice but to risk it.

"Pin Missile!" Once again, Drapion fired, and Staraptor successfully dodged them all.

Feeling a bit more comfortable, Ash went for what I wanted. "Use Aerial Ace!" he ordered, and his Flying type flew quickly towards Drapion.

We only had one shot to grab him, otherwise Aerial Ace would land its mark, guarantee. In the spilt second Staraptor reached him, Drapion ducked, catching the Predator Pokémon off guard. Then Drapion used his tail to grab Ash's Pokémon again, and then the Poison-Dark type turned his head to glare at his unfortunate opponent. "Cross Poison."

Seriously, what the hell was up with me being so unnerving?

_Ignoring that_ , Drapion crossed his arms and fired, hitting Staraptor head on, and the Flying type cried out in pain. Then Drapion slammed Staraptor onto the ground, causing him to take damage, become inflicted with poison, and then faint.

Damn.

_Okay, who would Ash send out next?_ I thought. Switching to Gliscor would be the smarter decision, but I just had this feeling it would be Torterra. It made sense, considering how powerful a Torterra can be. At the same time, it was also extremely foolish.

Which, of course, is a feature that's prominent in Ash even when he's _not_ acting.

Just as I had unfortunately predicted, Ash sent out his Grass-Ground type, and I smirked in triumph and irritation. "I thought so," I chuckled, and Ash looked surprised.

Torterra landed on the ground with a hard _THUD_ , and then became poisoned thanks to Toxic Spikes. But he didn't stay fazed for long since he almost instantly roared at Drapion. My Pokémon returned the cry, and I made my move.

"Drapion, Cross Poison!" He crossed his arms and jumped above Torterra, ready to strike from the air.

"Energy Ball!" Ash shouted, and Torterra fired his attack, sending Drapion back. As soon as the Poison-Dark type hit the ground, Ash called for Leaf Storm, which hit Drapion directly. I wasn't about to lose my cool, though.

"Pin Missile!" I commanded, and the two attacks pushed against each other until it ended in a tie, resulting in an explosion. The wind was rather strong, and I actually had to brace myself a bit.

Once the smoke cleared, I heard Ash say, "Use Rock Climb!" Torterra extended its claws (yeah, Torterras have claws; they just only come out when using certain moves) and slammed onto the ground, causing plateaus to form. The one Drapion was on went the highest, and Torterra lunged for him.

"INTERCEPT!" I thundered, and right before Torterra reached him, Drapion stuck out his claws and had the Continent Pokémon in his iron grip. Feeling calmer, I went for the next move. "Poison Fang!" Drapion's fangs glowed purple, and then he transferred the attack to his claws. The attack sent Torterra flying and then sliding down the plateau on his back. He landed right side up but on his stomach as the rock formations disappeared.

"Torterra, Synthesis, let's go!" Ash ordered, and Torterra began to heal himself. I let our opponents finish, thankful that it didn't last long before they were ready to face us again.

"Pin Missile!" I shouted, and Drapion fired. They all hit, and-

...I didn't plan that.

People will say for days and weeks and possibly months that I waited for the _perfect_ moment to _destroy_ Ash's confidence by making Torterra faint right after he healed, but I _swear_ that's not the case.

Don't call bullshit, I'm being serious!

Whether it was planned or not, Ash did indeed look a little frightened, even doubtful, as he recalled Torterra. I frowned. He couldn't give up now; the battle was really only beginning, and he wanted to just quit? That wasn't Ash, that was every other random Trainer I fought in a tournament.

So the question became how to get Ash back on his feet.

Then something strange came to mind. Honestly, I didn't think it would work. But being an asshole always got him talking - be it preaching or some sort of comeback - so why not? "You've still got your Gliscor left, don't you?" I questioned, beginning the process.

"Of course!" he answered, and he put Torterra's Poké Ball back in his belt, preparing to grab his sixth Pokémon.

Here went nothing.

"I've got your battling style figured out," I revealed, and that is where I agree I was saying some bullshit. His team, yes. His battling style, still a mystery to this day. "Thanks to Aggron and Gastrodon."

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"I purposely let you take out Aggron and Gastrodon so I'd be certain of your strategy and which Pokémon you'd use," I explained. _Though that doesn't mean they didn't_ _ **try**_ _to knock your Pokémon out,_ I added in my head.

"Purposely?" my rival repeated, looking a little miffed.

Finally I recalled Drapion, since I wanted Ninjask's speed to take on Gliscor. "Ever since I brought out Drapion, I've been able to predict _every one_ of your moves," I finished, which was more true than false.

Ash lost the annoyance and stared at me intently, as if he were trying to read me. And then, just like that, there was that spark in his eye. Soon, a smirk appeared on his face, and I could have sworn there was a silent chuckle.

"Paul..." _You bastard,_ was totally in his eyes, which had this mix of amusement and slight ( _very_ slight) irritation. "There really is no one like you," he stated with just the tiniest hint of exasperation, like he was completely done dealing with my shit. _Same could be said about you,_ I thought. He enlarged Gliscor's Poké Ball and held it out. "That's why I'm gonna win this!"

There he was, there was the rival I knew, and because of it I couldn't help but smirk in triumph and determination as I brought out Ninjask's Poké Ball. "It's the other way around," I challenged. "I'm leaving you _way_ behind."

"We'll just see about that." _Zuckerman._

_Bring it on, Ketchum. Bring it on._


	48. The Battle of Equals II

"Gliscor, I choose you!"

"Ninjask, stand by for battle!"

Both of our Flying types were in the sky, prepared to take part in ATA combat (uh...air-to-air combat, if you don't know). The first thing I wanted to do was make sure Ninjask was so fast almost nothing could touch him, so I called for Agility. The Bug-Flying type gained a white outline before he began to disappear and reappear, confusing Gliscor while raising his speed at the same time. "Stop!" Ash advised to his Pokémon's panicking. "Just relax and use Stone Edge!"

Gliscor created the stones and threw them at Ninjask, but he was too fast and ended up dodging them all. "Fury Cutter," I told Ninjask (in that weird voice too; seriously, _why_?). His pincers glowed red, and he darted over to Gliscor and hit him back. Then he zipped behind the Ground-Flying type and hit him again. The process repeated, the attack getting stronger with each successful hit.

"Quick, Gliscor, get close and use Fire Fang!" Ash ordered.

Gliscor flew back and set his fangs on fire, but when he went to chomp Ninjask, my Pokémon disappeared and zipped behind the opposing Pokémon sending Gliscor crashing into the ground and getting affected by Toxic Spikes. Ash immediately switched Gliscor for Infernape, who didn't exactly look in the best of shape, and the Toxic Spikes switch-in damage wasn't helping.

I noticed Ash was muttering to himself, obviously coming up with some sort of strategy. Whatever it was, I couldn't help but be curious as to what it would be. Finally his eyes widened, and then he smirked. He had an idea. And what would it be?

"Now, Infernape, Dig!"

Ah, I- ...Okay, the hell?

With a Flying type like Ninjask, what exactly was Infernape going to accomplish by digging underground? But he just kept tunneling, never once returning to the surface, and for the longest time nothing happened except for my speedy Bug type darting around, waiting for something to do.

"Infernape, Flare Blitz, go!" my opponent commanded.

What exactly would an underground Flare Blitz do to Ninjask?

Then I realized Ash hadn't been aiming to hit Ninjask at all.

Ash had been planning to get rid of Toxic Spikes.

"No!" I hissed when I realized my entry hazard was going up in flames. But there was nothing I could do as I watched the field glow a very intensely bright red that soon turned into a huge fire that not only burned away Toxic Spikes but even managed to just barely hit Ninjask and send him higher into the sky.

Just how powerful had Infernape actually gotten?

Speaking of the Flame Pokémon, he jumped back onto the surface, both he and his Trainer looking very accomplished. "Well Paul, that takes care of your Toxic Spikes!" Ash boasted.

"It was a pretty clever move, Ash," I admitted. I mean, Counter Shields are one thing. Literally bursting the field into flames was something that crossed his mind and his mind only. But if he thought his little maneuver was stopping me, Ash didn't know me as well as he thought he did.

"Giga Drain!" Ninjask glowed green and flew towards Infernape. He began to circle around the Fire-Fighting type, but something was wrong: Ninjask wasn't moving as fast anymore.

That Flare Blitz must have done more than just nicked him.

At the very least Ninjask was able to begin the attack, sucking Infernape of his energy and restoring my Pokémon's own health. But then Ash had Infernape track Ninjask's movement, and in no time our opponent smirked. "Now use Mach Punch!" Ash commanded. Infernape's fist glowed white, and he hit Ninjask so hard he bounced on the ground three different times before my Pokémon stopped right in front of me.

"Ninjask is unable to battle. Infernape is the winner!"

God damn it.

I returned Ninjask, and Ash returned his own Pokémon since he was definitely needing a break. With Infernape gone for the moment, I decided to bring out my glass cannon to hopefully do something about Pikachu or Gliscor, maybe both. "Froslass, stand by for battle!"

When my Ice-Ghost type took the field, Ash gave her and then me a curious look, clearly remembering our conversation in the woods. I gave a slight shrug and then a smirk, telling him to call out his next Pokémon. My rival momentarily gave me an unamused look before turning to his starter. "Kay, Pikachu, you're up!" he exclaimed. Pikachu nodded and took the field, ready to battle.

Once again, I made the first move. "Now, Froslass, use Hail!" I ordered. Froslass' body glowed light blue and she floated into the sky. Then thick clouds and fog formed above the battlefield. Froslass then floats into the clouds, disappearing and reappearing as she flew around thanks to Snow Cloak.

Ugh, I thought I told her to keep her ghost-like movements to a minimum!

Meanwhile, Pikachu was continually pelted by the hail, and Ash decided to at the very least try and do something. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" he yelled over the storm. His Electric type fired, but he completely missed Froslass.

I made my move. "Use Ice Shard!" I commanded. Froslass lifted her hands over her head and created a ball of light blue ice, and then she threw it right at Pikachu. Unable to see where it was coming from, Pikachu took the full force of the attack. He flew back and landed on the ground, struggling to get back on his feet. Meanwhile, Froslass-

 _Damn it, stop, you're freaking_ _ **me**_ _out!_ I cried.

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle, now!" His Pokémon sprinted, electricity surrounding him.

"Pathetic," I scoffed. As if using a powerful move would instantly make Pikachu hit my Pokémon. Just as predicted she dodged effortlessly, and as Ash informed Pikachu of her whereabouts, I went for my next move. "Ice Shard!" Once again she created the ice and fired.

"Jump and use Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash quickly called out. The little mouse leapt high into the air right in front of Froslass, and both she and I were surprised that Pikachu had actually located her. Unfortunate for us since Pikachu connected the super effective move and sent Froslass crashing to the ground.

At the same time, the clouds and fog disappeared, and I contemplated using Hail again. Before I ordered for it once more, I stopped and thought about it for a bit longer. If Pikachu was lucky enough to find Froslass again (and knowing Ash's knack for good luck it would no doubt happen faster than last time), there was no doubt she was going down, and whichever Pokémon I brought out would be negatively affected by the hail. So, as smart as it seemed to change the weather back, I let it stay the way it was.

 _Congrats on backing me into a corner, Ash,_ I thought with a smirk. _But we won't lose._

Froslass has the same mentality as she pushed herself up and was floating again. Seeing that she was ready to go, I shouted, "Ice Beam!" She fired, and it was too fast for Pikachu to so much as move an inch. He froze completely solid, and I took that advantage. "Froslass, use Ice Shard!" She began to create the attack a third time.

Though like I said, leave it to Ash to find the possible in impossible.

However, I have to say, this time was just...stupid dumb luck.

"Use Volt Tackle and smash your way out!" _With nowhere to run and charge up?_ I questioned. _How is Pikachu supposed to-_ _?_

The Mouse Pokémon shattering the ice and slamming into Froslass shut me up.

See? Stupid dumb luck.

"Froslass is unable to battle. Pikachu gets the win!"

Not to mention I was now down to two Pokémon. _Joyous_.

Pikachu was called back since he was the one in need of a break just as I recalled Froslass. I decided to go back to Drapion since I felt it would be better to have my last Pokémon at completely 100%...assuming Drapion could take out one of Ash's Pokémon, or at least significantly damage them.

Once again it was Drapion versus Gliscor, and since I was wary of Ash burning them up again and therefore wasting one of my turns, I decided against Toxic Spikes. "Pin Missile!" Drapion fired, and Gliscor used his tail to jump into the air and dodge them.

"Alright, Gliscor, Stone Edge!" Ash's Pokémon created the stones and threw them at Drapion, but I countered with Cross Poison, destroying them all. Unfortunately, it also created a smokescreen that Gliscor was able to hide in so that he could prepare to strike with Giga Impact.

Suddenly Gliscor dropped down from right above Drapion's back. "Above you!" I warned. "Use Poison Fang!" Drapion looked up just in time to get nailed hard in the back, but he and I both figured that would be the perfect opportunity to strike.

As soon as the smoke from the small explosion cleared, though, we discovered Gliscor wasn't even there.

He was high up in the sky, safely spinning away.

Curse Ash's unorthodox brain.

"Pin Missile!" I demanded, admittedly a little more pissed than I should have been. Ash decided to counter with X-Scissor, but the Ground-Flying type was quickly overwhelmed, and he hit the ground _hard_. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to knock him out just yet, so I went for another Cross Poison.

"Quick, use Fire Fang!" Ash ordered. Gliscor got to his feet and flew towards Drapion with his mouth aflame. He flew under the Cross Poison and chomped down on my Pokémon's arm.

And then Drapion fainted due to burn.

"Drapion is unable to battle. Gliscor gets the win!"

Oh shit.

One Pokémon versus three. Three that were weakened, yes, but still three.

Even Electivire was going to have a difficult time with this.

As I sent him out, Ash decided to stick with Gliscor, well aware of the advantage his current Pokémon had. I of course noticed it too, and I found myself doing exactly what Ash normally did: turning the gears in my brain for something unorthodox.

What exactly could I do, though? Since Gliscor could fly, using Brick Break was out of the question. Protect would only work for so long - not to mention it wouldn't help bring Gliscor down anyway - and obviously Thunder and Thunder Punch weren't going to do anything. Man, if only Electivire had Rock Tomb or Rock Slide-

Suddenly the idea of creating my own Rock Slide came to mind, but I began to wonder exactly how I could possibly do that. There wasn't exactly a way I could just have Electivire break up the field and have rocks rain from the sky. But then I thought about the whole battle, trying to think of any hint Ash might have given...

Of course!

Infernape's Dig!

Electivire might not have been able to burrow through the ground, but there were other ways he could get under the field. Even if it was only a few inches.

"Use Thunder on the battlefield," I directed, and Electivire thankfully knew exactly how to do it. He pierced the ground with his tails and sent lightning throughout the ground, causing rocks to fly up into the air and crash right back down onto Gliscor.

 _Take that, Ketchum,_ I taunted. _You're not the only one who can use the field to your advantage._

"Let's finish this up, Gliscor, with Giga Impact!" Gliscor flew up into the air and charged in the purple-and-yellow cone.

With full confidence he could do it, I told Electivire to block the attack. While he successfully did so, my Electric type lashed his tails out and wrapped them around Gliscor, not only ending the attack but holding him in place for one good clean hit. "Brick Break, go!" I ordered, and Electivire hit his trapped opponent square on the head, sending him crashing to the ground.

Gliscor down, two to go.

"A job well done, Electivire," I complimented before it even processed fully in my brain. His eyes widened slightly but then he shouted out in determination. Meanwhile, Ash's eyes were wide, too, and it finally occurred to me what I had just said.

 _Did... Did I...actually say that out loud...in the middle of a battle?_ I realized in shock.

When was the last time I even did that? It took a bit of thinking, but I finally remembered. And when I did...

Jeez... I can't believe I had to take a breath just to make sure I kept myself from crying.

It was only a simple double battle, with Shellos and Turtwig versus... I honestly can't remember that. All I remember was that it was right before we boarded the boat in Twinleaf Town to get to Vermillion City and head over to Reggie's battle against Brandon. But whoever we faced, my team won, and for such a simple battle I remember being overly excited that we were victorious. Whichever Gym Leader we would take on first - whether we went back home or decided to stay in Kanto - they surely wouldn't beat us.

Violet using her Seel and Daisy's Starmie certainly didn't win, but... Well, you know.

But finally here I was, actually complimenting my Pokémon like I should have been for all of these years, and it was all because of Ash, a Trainer who I had initially hated for preaching that I _should_ be doing exactly this.

 _Hey, Paul, dumbass, now is not the time to have your head in the clouds!_ I scolded. _You're still in the middle of a battle; be amazed afterwards._

I mentally shook myself out of my thoughts just as Pikachu took the field. Once again I was in a stalemate battle, but this time so was Ash. If he called for any Electric type move, Electivire would receive a speed increase thanks to Motor Drive, and of course that wasn't good for him.

So then, how was this going to play out?

Well, for starters I used my makeshift Rock Slide again, but then Ash slightly smirked. Did he somehow predict my move? "Use Quick Attack!" he commanded, and Pikachu began sprint dodging every single rock he ran past.

"What?!" I exclaimed.

This guy, people, just...this guy!

Then Pikachu began to leap from rock to rock at blinding speeds until he was right about Electivire. He hit right on my Pokémon's head, but he quickly recovered.

"Electivire, grab Pikachu!" Electivire shot his tails out, wrapping them around our opponent again. "It looks like you _knew_ I was going to use Thunder, Ash," I accused. He grunted but said nothing, and I smirked, knowing that at the very least right then I had an advantage. "But Pikachu's taken lots of damage, while Electivire hasn't. Pikachu has to be close to his limit."

"Pikachu's fine!" Ash insisted. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Before his starter could use the move, Electivire slammed him onto the ground, though he kept Pikachu in his grip. But our opponent wasn't ready to surrender, and Pikachu used his tail to hit the ground, allowing the Electric type to escape.

Damn, for a Pokémon barely over a foot tall, he has strength.

I say that as if I didn't already know.

"Use Brick Break!"

"Intercept it with Quick Attack!"

The moves collided in the middle of the field, and neither side was giving an inch. Ash and I both grunted, noting how they were even in strength. Our Pokémon finally broke apart, jumping back and poised for the next call. I waited for Ash to make the first move, and he decided to take the offer with a smirk.

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle, go!"

Alright, so Ash is a guy with some out-there strategies, ones you won't see just about anywhere else. But this one... What would be the proper response? Ah, yes, okay...

WHAT THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE'S DOING?!

Without even questioning it, Pikachu charged, and I didn't even bother saying anything since it wouldn't matter what I did. Well, except if I used Protect, but I wasn't going to waste an opportunity to raise Electivire's speed. My Pokémon barely raised his guard as he took the attack head on, absorbing the electricity.

"Alright, Thunder Punch, go!" I ordered, deciding that the move would be more powerful with more electricity in his system.

But then Ash smirked even bigger than before, like he knew I was going to do that, too. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" he countered. Pikachu's tail and Electivire's fist collided, and suddenly Ash didn't look as confident.

Not to mention this suddenly seemed like a good case of déjà vu.

"Remember, Ash?" I brought up. "This is the _exact_ same situation as when we battled the first time."

Ah yes, the collision that resulted in a tie (though I wonder if Ash still claims I won) and led me to being agitated for a whole day afterwards. But that aside, it helped me dawn on something else.

"You must have wanted to get in close so you could finish the battle with Iron Tail," I continued, and Ash noted that he had been caught with a small grunt. "But now, Pikachu's stuck, and if he lets up even a _little_ , he'll be overcome by Thunder Punch. And there _is_ a move Electivire can still use using his left hand."

"That's Brick Break!" Ash realized.

How he knows me well. "Correct," I replied with a smirk. "Brick Break, let's go!" Electivire slammed the move on top of Pikachu's head, returning the favor from the earlier Quick Attack. Pikachu flew back and hit the ground but then struggled to his feet, only for a second later to be overwhelmed.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. Electivire wins!"

Which only meant one thing: the battle was almost over, both of us having only one Pokémon left.

"Hey Paul!" Ash exclaimed once he had taken his starter off the field, his last Poké Ball in hand. "Truth is, your strategy made all the difference, even though my numbers looked better. But _I'm_ still gonna win this!" He held out the ball, and it gleamed brightly in the sun.

"Then give it your best shot!" I challenged.

 _Gladly,_ his look accepted. "Infernape, I choose you!"

This was going to be fun.

...

Electivire and I...

I wasn't exactly surprised that the teammate I hated the most would be the opponent I faced last.

Ash and I would have to be careful, though; my old partners were a match right from the start, even though Elekid and I were only days apart in terms of being added to the team. Electivire was as much in sync with his Trainer as Torterra and Honchkrow were, or maybe even Ash and Pikachu. And with all of the battles I had been in, I wasn't exactly in the best of shape.

Underestimating Paul now would cost us the whole thing, just like last time.

But I wasn't here to lose, not today. I was here to show Paul what I had become; I was here to keep his promise from so long ago.

_Become stronger. I wanted that Blaze so bad, give it back to me. Say, "You want it so badly?! Well, take it!" And if you can't use Blaze, beat me anyway. Make me regret the day I gave you up._

Loud and clear, Chief.

Though, the thing is, I never wanted him to regret it. Did that day hurt? Yes, without a doubt. But I knew he cared, I knew Paul felt bad for how harshly he had sounded when he released me to wander into the woods. Heck, if the promise itself wasn't evidence that he cared, I don't know what is.

My current Trainer finally unlocked my power, but there had to be a driving force behind wanting to unlock it in the first place.

 _Paul, let Ash and I show you what you helped create._ I growled at Electivire as I sensed the battle ready to begin, but on the inside I was smirking. _And I promise you won't regret a single minute of it._

...

So... Who was going to give the first move?

To be honest, I was more focused on my pounding heart.

Seriously, it was intense. Our Pokémon were staring each other down, waiting for their orders, and Ash looked like he was going through the same thing I was. It felt like centuries before I finally decided to end the stare downs and take the initiative.

"Alright, Electivire, Thunder Punch!" I ordered. "Go!"

Ash wasn't going to let our attack go unchecked. "Infernape, use Mach Punch!" he countered. Both of their fists collided, and a few seconds later Electivire skidded back to where he had started while Infernape acrobatically made his way to his own starting point. "Flamethrower, go!"

"Protect," I simply advised, not wanting to take even the slightest of chances. Electivire put up the shield, negating Flamethrower completely. With Ash and his Pokémon surprised, I made my move. "Thunder!" Electivire fired, but once again Ash had a counter.

"Dig!" he ordered, and just before the bolt hit his Fire type, Infernape burrowed into the ground. Before _I_ could do anything, Infernape popped out underneath Electivire and landed a clean uppercut. The attack made Electivire fly back and land on his back. Our opponent jumped back again, and when his feet touched the ground, the poison from earlier took a bit of health away.

Meanwhile, Electivire stood back up, and while I knew that Dig must have done quite a bit, he didn't show any signs of waring down. "Good," I stated with a smirk. Ash smirked right alongside me, and his eyes gave away that he was thinking exactly what I was:

_Don't let this battle end just yet. Let's keep going!_

Suddenly it was an all-out fist-a-cuffs, with our Pokémon trying to outdo each other with Thunder Punch and Mach Punch. Their attacks were filled with so much passion and energy I literally felt the vibration of every impact in my blood, and it got my heart pounding. I knew this battle with Ash was going to be exciting, but...

But not like this!

Not to where I was grinning ear-to-ear on the inside, hoping that our Pokémon could somehow last for hours on end. No, saying hours was an understatement, because when the punches finally connected with each other - resulting in Ash trying Flamethrower out, only for me to counter with Protect again - it had _felt_ like hours! Certainly not in a bad way, not at all.

Because if it had actually been hours... Those were some damn thrilling, blood-rushing hours!

Why, though? I already told myself Ash was the only one who had ever _challenged_ me, and I knew this in all of the battles we had been in, whether I found him "pathetic" or not. So why was this one different?

Was it because this was it?

No more training, no more Gyms, no more anything. Everything would end here, there was nowhere else to go and no more different styles of battling. It was just this battle and one result for each of us:

Victory and defeat.

"Infernape, let's finish this up with Mach Punch!" Ash commanded.

Damn it, _no_ , Ash! Anything but Mach Punch!

Don't you realize there's only one thing I can do if you come towards Electivire like that?

That's the last way I want this battle to end!

It couldn't be helped, though. As much fun as I was having, I also wanted to win, so I made my counter.

"Grab Infernape!"

Electivire sidestepped out of Infernape's path, and in the blink of an eye, one of his twin tails wrapped around the Fire-Fighting type's fist, holding Infernape in place. Ash's Pokémon struggled for a bit, but before he could break free...

"Thunder!"

100,000 volts, folks... That's about the power of Thunder.

And Infernape felt every single one.

By the time the attack was over, Infernape was slightly slumped over, and it almost looked like he had fainted standing up. When Electivire let go, with no support our opponent crashed to the ground, unmoving. The ref took a step towards him. "Infernape is unable-"

My Pokémon seemed to think otherwise.

His cry momentarily distracted the ref, and that's when Infernape began to pick himself up, but _very_ slowly. His eyes were glaring and shaky as Electivire egged him to stand up and fight, and an old taunt came to mind.

Would it work this time, though? Or would it be like that battle all of those months ago before I had reached Pastoria?

_Alright, Infernape, don't take it from me this time. Prove me wrong._

"So I guess that's the best you can do then," I scoffed. "You're pathetic, just like always."

I knew I was lying, though. Infernape was _far_ from pathetic, he always had been. And especially now, with the battle he and Electivire had been going through, no way was he pathetic. Then, from inside me, an old want came forth.

_Blaze... I want to see your Blaze._

"Fraid not," Ash's voice suddenly called out, grabbing my attention. Wait... Was I actually... "Alright, Infernape, time to show Paul just how strong you are!" Infernape stood up and cried out.

The fire lit up the whole stadium and even beyond.

Now _that's_ a fucking awesome Blaze!

Of course, that meant we couldn't let down our guard, not in the slightest, and it also meant Infernape was close to his limit. The battle was ending soon, no doubt. "Infernape's more powerful than ever, so heads up!" I warned. Electivire nodded.

"Alright, Infernape, Flamethrower!" Ash shouted. When the Flame Pokémon fired, I swore I had never seen a bigger Flamethrower in my life.

"Thunder!" I retorted. But our move paled in comparison, and Electivire was quickly overwhelmed. Then, through the smoke of the collision, Infernape used Mach Punch and sent my Pokémon flying back. Not wanting to give up, though, he landed on his feet.

"Let's finish this!" both Ash and I yelled.

Let's finish this indeed.

"Use Thunder Punch!" Electivire made both of his fists crackle with electricity, and he charged.

"Flare Blitz, go!" Infernape surrounded himself in an intense blue fire and collided with the double Thunder Punch, and that collision...

Holy shit...

People... I can't make this up.

There was a fire-lightning tornado.

A _fire-lightning_ _ **tornado!**_

**_HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF ANYTHING SO AWESOME AS THAT?!_ **

It was admittedly hard to see our Pokémon that were in the center of it with the blue, yellow, and white lights dancing around, not to mention the roar of the wind created by the thing. All I knew was that, at some point, it became even bigger than it already was, and bluer. Then, just like that, it ended, with Infernape darting right in front of me and flinching from the recoil. Suddenly there was an explosion around Electivire, and he cried out in pain.

When the smoke cleared, though, he was still standing, ready to face Infernape again. In turn, our opponent faced him as well, willing to take the challenge if he needed to.

How long did we stand there, waiting for something, _anything_ to happen? I heard my heart in my ears, drowning out anything other noise that might have been present. All that I knew were the two Pokémon staring each other down, and my greatest rival watching like I was.

Then Electivire gave a little smirk, and I instantly knew what it meant.

We lost.

As soon as Electivire hit the ground and the ref made his call, it was like everything came back. Ash cheered in victory, and I exhaled the breath I didn't realize I had trapped.

Guess that was that... And for the first time I didn't care.

After all of that... Shit, how _could_ I care? No matter how I looked at it, the battle was so damn amazing that I could only be proud I had taken apart in it. Not to mention that, after all of this time, all of the months and battles...

Infernape finally beat me with the one thing I had wanted out of him more than anything. He lived up to his promise.

Walking over to Electivire, I could see the apprehensiveness in his red eyes, no doubt waiting for me to scold him. But, with complete knowledge of what I was doing this time, I knelt down with his Poké Ball and said, "Thank you. Good battle, Electivire."

If he had a response, it would have to wait, since I returned him right after I said that, not to mention I had my eyes closed.

What? I got a little nervous. Give me a break.

There was the feeling of eyes on me, and I opened my own to find Ash, Pikachu, and Infernape staring at me, though all of them had smiles. I stood up, and Infernape said something to me, looking very proud of himself. I smiled back, even though I had no idea what he said, but I decided to say what I had on my mind.

Or, at least, that was the intension.

Infernape stumbled a bit, obviously close to the breaking point. Luckily Ash was there to make sure the Fire-Fighting type didn't topple, and he asked if his Pokémon was okay, Infernape nodded, but I decided to save my piece for later. Smiling even bigger, I turned and left, watching the board as I walked to see who Ash was up against-

Tobias.

God damn it, which writer of Ash's life hates him?!

 _Seriously, come on, Ash deserves to win the Sinnoh League!_ I ranted in my head. _He's miles better than that stupid legendary-only Trainer. A fire-lightning tornado, a_ _ **fire-lightning tornado**_ _! I bet anything that guy hasn't seen anything_ _ **nearly**_ _as cool! Forget owning a legendary, fire-lightning-_

I think it's safe to say I was finally becoming myself again... My _true_ self, the one I should have always been.

Either that, or Barry has somehow influenced me.

Definitely banking on the former, but just because you don't have evidence that something does exist, doesn't mean you have evidence that something doesn't exist.

Before I went to the Pokémon Center, I decided to talk to my Pokémon. I released them from their Poké Balls not too far away from the Center, and I noted how tired they all looked, so I told myself that I should say what I wanted to as quickly as I could.

Just like Electivire had done (and what he was doing again actually), my team was clearly waiting for me to insult them. Instead, I took a breath and stated (admittedly kind of slowly), "All of you... You did very well today." It fell completely silent, and I resisted the urge to fumble over my words. "I'm...proud of your performance. That certainly wasn't...an easy battle."

I'm still nervous, okay?!

They stared at me with wide, unbelieving eyes, and it felt like centuries just waiting for any sort of response. Suddenly, Drapion's arms extended, and I cried out in surprise as he yanked me towards him and into a hug, grinning the whole time. "Ah, Drapion, I've told you before, not so tight!" I instructed, but I couldn't help laughing at the same time.

Drapion refused as usual, and instead just nuzzled me, showing off the huge softie he can be outside of battle. That was pretty much standard for all of Reggie's Pokémon, though: absolute monsters in battle, complete plush toys any other time.

He _is_ mine now, though, so... Maybe that says something.

It must, since - when Drapion finally put me down - I was tackled from behind, and when I turned my head, Gastrodon started nuzzling me as well. I lightly chuckled as I petted her. "This is our first lost, isn't it?" I realized. Gastrodon nodded but didn't seem fazed in the slightest since there was a huge smile on her face. "You did amazing, Gastrodon." She seemed to glow at the praise. "Now, can you please get off? Having almost seventy pounds on my back isn't exactly comfortable."

Gastrodon slithered off of me, and I stood up, stretching before dusting off my front. Then I turned to notice the rest of my team was still speechless, and it was understandable. None of them had seen me the way I was before, so to see me this playful and "out of character" was staggering for them.

Though once they looked at the other two and then at each other, they grinned, and I think the only reason Aggron didn't join in the group tackle was because I would no doubt be dead.

"Gastrodon, I just remembered why I stopped allowing this!" I cried, trying my best to squirm out from under the pile of Electivire, Froslass, and Ninjask. There was a chorus of laughter, and my first catch gently nudged the back of my head.

I sighed in defeat and relaxed, staring up at the bluish-orange sky. It had been a long time since I had felt this content with my team in a very long, and I realized how truly stupid I was for letting Reggie's last battle affect me like it had.

Because there wasn't anything quite like the sense of security I felt with my team of Pokémon that had my back no matter what.

But then again, they say everything happens for a reason. Perhaps, as backwards as it seems, this was for the best. Because who knew if I would have this team of incredible Pokémon if it hadn't, not to mention the ones back home. Who knew if I would have been half as tough as I am or if I would have gotten as far as I have.

Who knew if I would have still met Infernape, Ash, and Haley.

Who knew if I ever would have participated in the greatest battle of equals I had ever seen.

* * *

**A/N: So, I'd like to thank DayDream62 on FanFiction.net for beta reviewing this for me. Yep, I have a beta now, and it's thanks to her that...most mistakes are fixed. Hey, I'm covering my bases just in case either of us missed anything.**

**But that pretty much concludes the Sinnoh League arc, which means it might go a bit slow again since I have to think up everything. But I'll try to get these chapters out asap.**

**So...random question: does anyone think Haley would lose to Cynthia?**


	49. Finally, Right?

I brought my Pokémon to Nurse Joy, and for whatever reason I felt like watching the sunset from somewhere a bit closer to the water. I guess it would have been best if I told my friends where I had gone, but I just didn't think to do so. There was a large staircase down the path away from the Pokémon Center, and I knew at the bottom of the steps was a railing. That sounded like a good place for some reason, so I decided to head there.

Halfway down, I heard Ash call out my name, sounding a little out of breath. I stopped and turned, finding that he and Pikachu were at the top, panting. I figured they had run as fast as they could to catch up with me, and I was glad Ash did. I kind of wanted to talk to him.

But first...they had to get _a lot_ of air in their lungs.

"Maybe next time you sound pace yourself," I advised.

Ash finally regained enough air and frowned, unamused. "Oh look, we have Mr. Funny over here," he joked dryly, which caught Pikachu off guard completely. I noticed, but I guess Ash kind of forgot. "Maybe if you actually _told_ people where you decided to disappear to. If I didn't know better, I would have said you were planning on leaving."

"Do I _look_ like I'm prepared to leave?" I pointed out.

"No, but what I meant was that I could see you doing it," Ash replied, finally coming down the steps to meet me. "You'd probably be walking away, and when I ask why you're leaving, you'd say, 'I lost, so there's no reason for me to stay'."

"Ash..."

"What? I'm saying the truth and you know it."

"You don't actually know that."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't."

" _Yes_ I do!"

" _No_ you don't!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Give me one good reason why you would stay if Haley wasn't here," he challenged.

Damn it, he was right.

"Okay, fine, you win," I conceded. He smirked, and I glared before looking towards the docks, where I probably would be heading right now if circumstances were different. "I'd be heading off to the Battle Zone, I guess."

"The Battle Zone?" he repeated. "What's that?"

"It's an island not too far from here," I explained. "There's tough Pokémon, tough weather conditions, and even tougher Trainers. I want to go there so my Pokémon can get stronger for our rematch against Brandon."

There was a hand on my shoulder, and I turned my head to find Ash smiling, brimming with confidence. "You'll beat him this time," he proclaimed. "I know you will."

"Thanks," I replied. "But... What if I don't?"

"Then you don't," Ash simply answered. "You get better and come back another day. I had to battle Brandon three times before I beat him."

"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu agreed, jumping onto Ash's shoulder.

I sighed. "Alright, you win," I stated. Then I thought and sighed, "Again." Ash grinned, and I rolled my eyes. "So, tell me, why did it take you three tries?"

Suddenly Ash didn't look as eager. "Um... Well, funny story-"

"You're an idiot," I interrupted as I began walking down the stairs again.

"Hey, you barely let me say anything!" he accused as he caught up with me.

"You said 'funny story', and knowing you, that means you did something stupid," I pointed out.

"The second time was overconfidence!" he snapped. I raised an eyebrow, wanting to know about the first time. "Th-the first time... See, there was this orb left by the king of Pokélantis that was said to have Ho-oh in it and I really wanted to see so I held it up and got possessed-"

"Some archeologist you are," I joked, butting in again.

He was blushing, a very frustrated and embarrassed look on his face. "You are _so_ aggravating; you know that?" he snapped.

"So I've been told," I brushed off, and I heard him huff in annoyance.

By that time, we had reached the end of the stairs, and we leaned against the railing to watch the sunset, with Pikachu taking a place on the bar in the space between his Trainer and I. We stared at the ocean in comfortable silence for a long time, and it wasn't until the ship horn blew - the one that would have told me it was time to leave - that spoke again.

"Ash... Thanks."

"For what?" he asked. I turned my head to find a confused look in his eyes.

"For that battle today," I explained. "I've never had one like it, and to be honest I don't think I will for a long time. It was...fun, exciting... I don't think I've ever had such a challenge as that." I let out a quick, light chuckle. "Then again, there's been no one like you who could have given me a battle like that."

Ash smiled. "Well, the same can be said for you, Paul," he voiced. "Even with Gary, it always just felt like one big game. And I guess that makes sense; we _had_ been best friends. But with you, I feel like I had to fight tooth and nail. It wasn't just some silly game, it actually felt like it was win or lose. So, thanks Paul, for giving _me_ an awesome battle today."

"Pika!" his starter chimed in, looking enthusiastic. I smiled.

"Oh, and one more thing," Ash continued. "There's someone else who wants to thank you." Now I was the one confused, so to clarify Ash brought out a Poké Ball and threw it up, releasing Infernape.

It was then that something finally hit me.

"Ash, you idiot! Your Pokémon should be with Nurse Joy!" I exclaimed.

"Not until we thanked you," Ash countered with a grin, which both of his Pokémon matched.

I was confused again. "For what?"

"What kind of question is that?" he laughed, like I was missing the most obvious thing in the world. "For helping us unlock Blaze, of course!"

"Pi-ka!"

"In-Infernape!"

They lost me. "Ash, the person who unlocked Blaze was you," I argued. "All I did was demand for it and push him into situations far beyond his limit. I didn't help in the slightest."

"Dummy," Ash snickered, flicking my forehead. I glared as I rubbed the spot, but he barely noticed. "Who do you think motivated us to unlock Blaze in the first place, huh? It certainly wasn't us; heck, if it were up to us, we would have never tried, and Infernape would probably still be going on rampages. But because you wanted to see it, we wanted to show you. Don't cha think being motivation is some sort of help?"

All I could do was stare in disbelief, unable to comprehend the idea that they thought I was helpful to their cause. Then I looked at Infernape, who grinned even wider and nodded. I couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks," I finally said. "That really means a lot."

"It means a lot that you accepted it," Ash added. His Pokémon nodded again, and it felt so...natural and comforting, like we had been doing it forever. Like we were-

"Friends," I suddenly said aloud. Ash made a noise of confusion. "Remember when we were walking out of the forest, and you said the night before didn't make us friends?" I chuckled lightly. "I think we've been lying to ourselves."

Ash blinked, and then he laughed. "Yeah, I think you're right!" He laughed for a bit longer before abruptly stopping, and then he grinned wildly. "You think we found that _something_ Dawn's been wondering about?" he asked.

"I _know_ we found that something," I answered. But then things got kind of awkward, at least for me, and I struggled to find words. "So... Uh..."

"You're terrible at this," Ash sighed. That was the only warning I got before he hugged me, and after a few tense seconds I sighed...and smiled.

"You black haired Trainers have absolutely no respect for personal space," I muttered good naturally.

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking big," he teased. He let go and stepped back, grinning. "Hate to break it to you, Paul, but that's what friends tend to do."

Remember a long time ago, back when I wondered why there was this giant hole in my heart?

Guess what filled it?

"Friends," I repeated, smiling big. "Yeah, guess you're right."

"Every time." I rolled my eyes, and he just grinned before looking out at the ocean again, and he seemed kind of...guilty. "Though, I should probably come clean with something." I eyed him curiously. "Remember, all the way back to our second battle, how I wanted to be all buddy-buddy with you?"

"You said that because that's what Ash Ketchum says," I pieced together easily, not entirely surprised. "He makes friends with everybody but the really bad guys. He's the guy who gets you smiling in no time." Ash nodded, and after a few seconds I put a hand on his shoulder. The Pallet Town Trainer looked at me, wondering what I was doing.

"But even when you're behind a mask, Ash, there's still traces of you, and you know I know this," I continued. "So whether you were wearing it or not at the time, it didn't matter. Because no matter what, Ash, you're a good person. You've always been. You're just like Reggie, and while it's in more ways than just that, it's the one that sticks out the most."

He stared. And he stared and stared and stared some more before he finally shook his head. "I'm in no way comparable to your brother," he replied. "Reggie is one of the most amazing, honest people I have ever met, and-"

"He told me he cried almost every night because of how awful he felt," I interrupted, and all three of them looked at me in surprise. "I'm always the center of attention, whether I want to be or not."

"At least he was doing so because he cared," Ash argued. "I just ranted for the sake of bi- complaining."

"You ranted?" I questioned, and he nodded. "How so?" Suddenly he looked very nervous, and I sighed, slamming my hand on the railing. "I can't believe _I'm_ giving you this advice, but real friends, Ash, won't turn on you because you're slightly different than they originally thought." I pointed at his Pokémon, who were very lost. "If you believe they're real friends, as long as you are still you - and I've already told you that you are - then it won't matter to them that you're slightly smarter or slightly more mature than they thought. So, come on, I want to hear one in _full_ detail."

After a few seconds, his Pokémon looked at him and nodded, and Ash gulped thickly before taking a deep breath.

What proceeded was probably an overdramatized version of the original rant, but how would I have known.

From his words I was able to gather it was some time after our Lake Acuity battle but before we had met in Soldaster Town. And it was absolutely _hilarious_. More so for the reactions of Pikachu and Infernape (who I _swear_ had their jaws open so wide a Wailord could fit), but just imagining Ash getting up in the middle of the night just to curse at me to nothing but the blackened sky was pure gold.

Finally, Ash finished, looking mighty sheepish. "So... Yeah, that was...routine," he revealed.

Neither of his Pokémon could get over it, and the whole time I was smug as could be. "Tell me, did you know the riddles that weird old man was spouting on Cinnabar?" I asked.

"Just shut up, Paul," Ash requested. "And that was Blaine, by the way."

Of course, I ignored him. I knew the man had been Blaine, anyway. "What do tourists think is hot and cold?" I recited, remembering that the old Gym Leader had given it to me as a quiz since he wanted to know if I was quick on my feet.

"Hot spring, no contest," Ash answered quickly. "Can you stop talking?"

"If you look near the swing, you'll see my hands, or at least your face."

"A clock, obviously, but seriously-"

"It's in a place where firefighters never win."

"A volcano, easy, now for the love of Mew, _shut UP_!" He was seriously red, and while Infernape had no idea what was going on, Pikachu looked like he was holding back some major laughter, not that Ash noticed. "Look, I knew the answers the moment he said them, okay? But Misty answered them, so even if I hadn't known the answers, you saying the riddles wasn't going to prove anything."

That was such a bullshit explanation, but I was glad he said it. "Aw, I know why you're angry." I tipped his hat downwards, and as he adjusted it in a huff I snickered. "You're embarrassed because you had to look stupid in front of your girlfriend," I teased. Before Ash could blow his top, Pikachu started laughing _really_ hard.

"Pi-Pikachu, you're supposed to be on my side!" he cried, and Infernape coughed in an attempt to keep a straight face. It wasn't working. "Paul, you jackass, you're going to pay for this!"

With that, he began to chase me, pretty much ready to rip me limb from limb. All I could do was chuckle as he did. His Pokémon watched from the sidelines, laughing as well. At some point, Ash finally caught me, and when he turned me around with my jacket in his fists, he found he couldn't glare daggers at me like he wanted to. So, after a few seconds of desperately trying to push it down, he began laughing, too.

Bitter, _bitter_ rivals to feels-like-forever friends. It seemed so dumb and yet felt so right.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a voice cut in, stopping our laughter. We looked to the stairs to find Haley smiling sweetly.

Oh _God_ that looks adorable.

"Nah," Ash answered with his usual friendly smile as he let go of me. I'm glad he answered; I think my voice had up and left thanks to her smile. "I was actually just about to leave. I need to get my Pokémon healed up."

"Which you should have done a long time ago," Haley gently scolded, bouncing down the steps to us. "Not to mention Barry's been running around trying to find you and give you his congratulations. No doubt he's in the 'I'm going to fine you' stage."

Ash laughed. "Absolutely!" he agreed. "Come on, you two, let's go to the Pokémon Center." The two cheered, but before they took off, Haley had one last thing to say.

"I'm glad you two are finally getting friendlier."

The victor of our battle grinned. "Yeah, I am too."

No matter how he felt before, he meant that now.

"I'll see you guys later, okay?" Ash called out. Haley nodded and turned to look at the ocean, taking Ash's place, but in doing so she missed Ash eyeing her, winking at me, and mouthing, "Go get her".

I will damn well try.

With Ash gone, we just stood in silence, leaning against the railing and watched the sunset. "It's really pretty," Haley finally commented.

I looked at her, and even if she questioned me I wouldn't have the ability to stop staring.

The sunlight made her skin glow a soft reddish-orange, and the water reflected in her eyes, highlighting those emerald and gold specks I had seen before. She closed her shimmering eyes to breath in the ocean air, and as she exhaled, she took out her ponytail to readjust it. But while she slowly brushed her fingers through her dark black strands, the wind gently blew through her hair, and I couldn't take just looking at her anymore. I grabbed her right wrist just as it went to gather her hair. Haley turned her head, confused, especially when I pulled her close and wrapped my arm around her, her wrist still in my hand.

We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before I gulped and finally found my voice. "Haley... I lost," I stated.

"Yeah, you did," she replied, and then she smiled. "But you did really well, and I'm proud of you for complimenting your Pokémon and Infernape."

"Thank you," I said, nodding. "That's not what I meant by it, though."

"Then what did you mean?" she insisted.

"Do you remember this morning?" I asked. "When I said that if I lost, I would tell you something I've been hiding?" Haley remembered, and she nodded. "I...kind of lied."

"Lied?" she repeated.

Once again I nodded. "On two fronts, actually," I admitted. "The first is that I would have told you no matter what. Because... Well, it has to do with you." She looked surprised, and my heart began to thunder in my chest as I squeezed her even closer.

"And the second is that... I can't tell you." Now she frowned, looking extremely unamused. I sighed. "Not like that. I mean that I can't _tell_ you, because every other time I've tried, words failed completely." Haley dropped the unamused face and looked like she was trying figure out what I meant. "So, I figured I just have to _show_ you." I breathed in and steeled my nerve.

Well, here went everything.

My heart practically threatening to burst out of my chest, I...

I finally kissed Haley Paige Sedai.

Haley stiffened, and I tried my best to ignore the crack in my heart by what I figured that meant. For the moment, I had to let her know _everything_ I felt about her. About how _grateful_ I was, about how _happy_ I was, and about everything in between, but most importantly...

How much I _loved_ her.

How much I wanted her to be by my side.

_If you're going to Unova, let me go with you._

Finally, realizing I couldn't keep it up, I parted. Well, not really. It was about enough to take a small breath when Haley suddenly snatched her right wrist back. Then her hand went to the back of my head and pushed it back, starting the kiss back up again with more passion than I had put in.

My eyes flew open, and I noticed hers were closed with tears coming out of them. Hoping it would help, I rested my hands on her cheeks and wiped the tears away with my thumbs as I closed my eyes again. But soon her body was shaking, and she pulled away as she began to cry. I slowly opened my eyes to find hers squeezed tight as her tears ran down harder.

"Haley," I whispered, "why are you crying?"

"Because you can't... You shouldn't..." Haley shook her head and let go of me. "I don't deserve it."

"Why not?" I questioned, frowning.

Her eyes flew open as she shouted, "Because I don't!" Before my mouth so much as twitched to try and counter, she continued. "I lied this morning! You were right in suspecting my actions towards Dawn weren't because of her, but I know why I made the face, and I just... I-I just..." She sucked in air through her teeth. "I WANT BRANDI _GONE_!"

"Brandi?" I repeated, completely taken aback. "Why do-"

"Because I'm jealous!" Haley interrupted, looking frustrated and ashamed. "She got you to laugh and smile on her first try. Her _first_ _ **try**_! It took me _months_ to get you to even consider me a friend, and yet she's able to tell you secrets she hasn't even told me in less than two weeks? Two weeks, Paul, two **_weeks_**!" She turned around and began to sob.

All of my words escaped me as I watched her shoulders tremble violently, though after a few seconds I did try to say something. "Haley-"

"And the more she made you smile the more I thought, 'What's so special about Brandi? I wish she'd just leave already'," Haley continued, her voice softer but filled with shame. "But every time I would feel so guilty, because that's my best friend, who rushed out of Johto after losing in the Top 2 of the Grand Festival. She should have been devastated like she was last year, and instead she's been smiling, having my back... She even set up the afternoon at the beach just to get you and I closer, and instead of being grateful I'm screaming at her to go away? What kind of friend _does_ that? A person like me... Paul, I don't even come _close_ to deserving someone as amazing as you."

I completely ignored her compliment as I grabbed her shoulder and turned her around so she could see how serious I was.

"That's not true!" I denied. "Haley, the reason why Brandi's so great is because she has an amazing friend like you." She stared, her eyes wide but full of confusion. "If I hadn't met you, there's no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be friends with her. Maybe I would have insulted her, probably just as bad as Maciel, as much as I hate to say it. Hell, let's take it even further! I wouldn't be friends with Brendan, I wouldn't have forgiven Chase in a million years, who knows if I would have Froslass, Toxicroak, or the Relic Badge, and for all we know I could still be at odds with Reggie. Haley, you're a fantastic person, and I don't get why you can't see that."

Haley moved her stare to the ground. "I can't trust my judgement of myself," she argued.

"Then trust _my_ judgement," I insisted. Gently I lifted her chin up so she was looking at my eyes again. "Tell me, what do you see in my eyes?"

"I... I-I don't know," she answered. "I-I've always been wrong with... H-how do I know if I'm right-" My thumb brushed away the last of her tears, stopping her stuttering.

"Haley... I love you," I told her.

Those words... I said _those_ words.

When I did, her mouth gaped in shock, and for a very long time she just stared.

"Paul..." Haley breathed out in wonder. Then a grin slowly crept onto her face, and if she hadn't exhausted her tears I had a feeling she would have started crying again.

Suddenly she jumped at me, and I had to catch her so she didn't fall. Not that I was complaining about having her in my arms, hers clinging to me tightly and her legs wrapped around me. "I love you too, Paul," I heard her say into my ear. "I love you too. And I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that I-"

"Haley." I tugged her head back and smiled the biggest smile I ever had put on. "No talking," I directed. It took a second to sink in, but then Haley put on an eager grin before kissing me with just as much enthusiasm.

Now _this_ was the kiss I had waited for.

And damn was it worth that wait.

It was the kind that sends sparks up and down your spine and makes your toes curl. The one that leaves your head spinning and maybe even a little breathless. The one that makes you pull the person closer when it's clearly impossible. The one that makes you not realize certain actions, forget the world exists, how long you've been there- hell, you just might forget _where_ "there" is!

In a short description, it was _beyond_ description.

We parted, and we had to spend a bit catching our breath. I had realized that, during the kiss, Haley's feet ended up back on the ground, but it didn't really matter. I held her close, nuzzling her hair. I had never felt this light before, and it was probably helped by the fact that, only a few minutes before, I had made a good friend. Her head, meanwhile, was on my chest, looking at the ocean. Suddenly she giggled, and I moved my head to look at her.

"And what's got you laughing?" I asked.

"Besides just being extremely happy?" she replied. She giggled again. "Just the fact that we did one of the most cliché things ever and kissed at sunset by the ocean."

Somewhere in the back of my mind I wanted to sigh and be a little pissed with myself, but I ended up laughing lightly instead. "Damn are we the masters of poor timing," I half-joked.

"Tell me about it," she agreed with a laugh of her own. "I seriously can't believe I was right all seven of those times."

"We can blame two on Reggie, you know," I pointed out.

"Did he really know when to interrupt us?" Haley questioned.

"I can almost guarantee for the second time around."

"You mean the time you scared me out of bed."

"Yes, the time you yanked me down with you." Haley lightly pushed me, but I just laughed, and she was grinning.

"Speaking of your older brother, I have a feeling he's going to want an official date for this," Haley suddenly stated.

"This?" I repeated even though I knew what she was talking about. She raised an eyebrow, and I made a sound of understanding, to which she rolled her eyes. "Haley Paige, will you go out with me?"

My new girlfriend responded with a really passionate, long kiss.

"So that's a yes?" I chuckled.

She rolled her eyes again. " _Yes_ , Paul, we started dating in the same month as your birthday," she said. Yeah, actually, she was right, and-

Wait...

"Damn it!" I hissed.

"What?" Haley inquired, looking alarmed.

"We're still a week from my birthday!"

**_SLAP_ **

"Paul Shinji, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Haley scolded while my cheek stung from the impact. I couldn't help but give off a grin. "Besides, you're being a baby." I chuckled again before I was dragged into a quick kiss. Then Haley gave small kisses up to me ear before whispering, "Happy early birthday, my handsome boyfriend."

Best birthday present _ever_.

...

Paul and Haley were sure taking their sweet time, and everyone was getting a bit antsy over it. Well, except for me, since I figured they had quite a bit of time to make up for. But then again, the sun had set, and stars were lighting up the sky, so maybe they were taking just a _bit_ longer than they should have been.

No one suspected that they were together, either. Brandi seemed set on believing Haley was still trying to find my new friend. "She's, like, one of the best trackers!" she exclaimed. "It shouldn't be taking this long!"

"Paul is probably really good at hiding," Dawn guessed.

It was actually pretty easy to guess that he was heading to the walkway in order to watch the sunset. I don't know, it just seemed like the place he would go.

"Man, I swear, those two are going to pay a _huge_ fine!" Barry shouted angrily. "Here I was wanting to congratulate Paul on an awesome battle, and Haley promised me she'd find him in a flash!"

"Maybe they're tending to...important business," Brendan suggested slyly. Both girls punched him. "What is with you people unable to take a joke?! Jeez, I know they're not that stupid, cut me some slack."

What Brendan didn't know, though, was that he was on the right track. He just needed to walk back to first base instead of shooting for home.

"Hey Ash, do have an idea of where they went?" Brock asked while the other four argued with each other.

Why would I know? I'm supposed to be the stupid one. But maybe he felt bad because I had barely said anything and therefore felt left out of the conversation. So I tilted my eyes up like I was thinking before shaking my head.

"Nope," I answered, but then I smiled brightly. "I bet they're fine, though. They can take care of themselves." I looked at my best buddy - having long since been healed by Nurse Joy - resting on the left armrest of the chair I was sitting in. "Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" he agreed, deciding - like me - to give them some space.

I smiled even bigger. It made me really happy that Paul had been right, that Pikachu and Infernape still cared. To them, it was like I hadn't changed all that much. But that didn't mean I had the strength to tell anyone else. There would be all sorts of questions, and I just didn't feel like answering them.

"I guess you're right," Brock voiced, bringing me back to the Pokémon Center lobby. "Still, to have everyone worried like this is- huh?" I turned my head to look at what had him surprised, and I chuckled a little. "Well, what do you know?" my old friend stated, the smile clear in his voice.

Our little lovebirds were walking to the Pokémon Center, clearly paying attention to nothing but each other. I don't think I had _ever_ seen Paul so relaxed and happy; he had an arm around Haley's shoulders, and his head was leaning softly on top of hers, with his eyes closed and a huge, soft smile on his face. Haley's head, meanwhile, was resting on his chest, and she had a slightly dreamy look on her face. Even though her eyes were open, it was almost like the world didn't exist, and I could tell since she didn't react in the slightest to Brock, Pikachu, and I observing them.

Then Haley said something, and Paul chuckled before kissing the top of her head. "That's something I never thought I'd see," Brock admitted. "But, you know, I'm happy for him."

"He looks really happy," I observed, trying to avoid saying the word "love". I wasn't supposed to know what love was, after all. "And so does Haley. They look really nice."

"Who looks-" Brandi interrupted herself by taking a long, excited breath just as Paul and Haley entered the lobby, unaware of the imminent danger. Curious, Dawn looked and inhaled sharply, and when I looked at her, both she and Brandi had stars in their eyes. Meanwhile, Barry had his mouth open, and Brendan had on a smug I-told-you-so look.

Suddenly the girls darted forward, and they practically ripped Haley away as they hugged her tightly and squealed loudly. "Oh my gosh, you did it!" they congratulated. "When, how, details, details-"

"Guys, one question at a time!" Haley requested, a blush on her face as she tried squirm out of their grip. Her new boyfriend looked even more embarrassed, trying to hide his face as he probably finally realized neither of them had been paying attention to their surroundings.

Brendan suddenly had an arm around Paul, and he was grinning. "See? I told you," he stated smugly. "I told you, but you didn't believe me back in Sunyshore. But I was right, just like I told you."

"Yes, thanks for rubbing it in," Paul grumbled sarcastically, still trying to get rid of his embarrassment. Meanwhile, Barry was observing the Veilstone Trainer, and something caught his eye, and I figured out what it was before Barry said it.

Oh, this was going to be all sorts of chaotic.

"Hey Paul, why's your jacket all dirty?" the blond kid asked.

Paul was instantly redder than a Tamato Berry, and Brendan stared at him with Hoothoot eyes before glaring. "Paul Shinji, what the hell did you do to my best friend?" he growled.

For a few seconds that felt like minutes, Paul stared at the ground, his hair covering his eyes but not his completely red face. "We fell..." he finally muttered. "And we got a little...carried away."

"And how far is 'a little'?" Brendan questioned like he was an overprotective brother.

"Not far at all!" Paul defended, though he sounded more embarrassed than harsh. "Get your mind out of the gutter already!"

"Uh huh," the Birch boy replied slowly, like he didn't believe him.

"I'm serious here!"

"Aren't _you_ the one who told _me_ not to get so defensive when I'm clearly trying to lie?"

"Um..." The arguing teens looked at me, curious as to what I would say. The idea of ending the conversation kind of came to mind, but then again...

Making Paul squirm sounded like an even more appealing idea.

"So is Brendan asking if... Um, what was it again? I thought I heard about it somewhere before... Jeez, this is going to bug me." I pretended to think, and then it "hit me". "Oh yeah! Was it something about getting into pants?" I asked innocently.

That pretty much made Paul blow his top, and I'm not surprised no one came to my rescue.

"ASH KETCHUM, GET BACK HERE SO I CAN SKIN YOU ALIVE!" Paul bellowed, and I couldn't help letting a little chuckle slip before pretending like I was terrified out of my mind and wondering why Paul was so angry. Meanwhile, it was actually hard to tell if Paul was playing along or if he was actually furious.

Somehow, I figured it was more so the latter.

Well, at the very least, my run around the Pokémon Center let me sleep easy the night before the battle I was unfortunately sure I wasn't going to win.

The Sinnoh League was fun while it lasted.

* * *

**A/N: You can all stop yelling at me now.**


	50. A Night to Ourselves

Ash lost, and I huffed in annoyance towards the winner.

Pretty much all of us agreed that Ash should have won the Sinnoh League, so for Tobias to be the giant unbreakable brick wall in his way was a total slap to the face. Brock pointed out that the Top 4 was the farthest the Pallet Town Trainer had ever gotten, not to mention he had done what no one else could - actually beating Darkrai  ** _and_** forcing Tobias to bring out his Latios **_and_** beating the male Eon Pokémon even if it ended in a tie - and those accomplishments were worth celebrating. He had a point, sure, but it was still stupid, and even the Breeder had to agree to that.

Paul was the most affected, and I could easily tell despite his neutral face. I frowned, concerned. "Paul, I know your disappointed that Tobias won, but if you're looking like that when Ash meets back up with us he might take it the wrong way," I pointed out.

He sighed. "I know, Haley," he replied, "and I know controlling a Legendary is no easy feat, but it almost feels like Tobias came here just to brag. Like he just wanted to be the center of attention for a week, instead of it being on a Trainer worth a damn."

Despite his annoyance and that I completely agreed with him, I smiled, focusing on something other than the victor. "You know, I'm proud of you," I stated. Paul raised an eyebrow, confused as to why I said that. "A week ago, the Paul I knew wouldn't have said Ash deserved to win this tournament."

"Last week I hadn't battled him," he argued, and I saw the glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

I let out a joking exasperated sigh. "Yes, Paul, there was a fire-lightning tornado," I stated. "I'm pretty sure you said it at least a dozen times last night, among..." I winked. "Other things."

My boyfriend blushed; how easy it is to make him flustered. "Sh-shut up," he snapped, pouting.

"Oh come on, Paul, I'm just teasing," I giggled. Then I pecked his cheek, and he instantly perked up. He's so adorable sometimes. "Hey, let's go congratulate him. Everyone is taking off without us, and we better catch up before we're left behind."

"Right," he agreed, but before we stood up, Paul returned my kiss with one of his own to my lips.

God, I love it when he kisses me. It leaves me tingly and bubbly and just all around happy. I can't help but grin every time, nor can I help the thumping of my heart. Any time I have to stop I pout on the inside, because I want it to keep going and never stop.

He seems to have already figured this out; I don't know how Paul figured it out, but he did. And every time he gives me this slightly smug look, like he's waiting for me to give in and embarrass myself yet restraining himself at the same time.

Personally, I'd like to see what happens if he cracks.

We met up with Ash at the Pokémon Center, and while he looked disappointed he was smiling brightly as he repeated everything Brock had said.

"Still, Tobias didn't deserve to win," Barry grumbled, his arms crossed and a huge pout on his face. "Someone should seriously fine that guy."

Ash laughed. "Don't worry about it, Barry, it's not that big of a deal," he assured.

"Not that big of a deal," I heard Paul scoff. His rival rolled his eyes a little - smiling all the while - and I silently giggled.

"So, I say we celebrate!" Brandi suddenly declared. "Ash, Paul, and Barry all worked really hard during the tournament, and so did all of their Pokémon. They deserve some recognition. Maybe if we ask Nurse Joy, we can use parts of the kitchen."

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Dawn exclaimed. "We can make all sorts of good food that way!" Piplup chirped in agreement.

"If we want to eat any of it, keep Brandi as far away as possible," Brendan joked.

"That's mean!" Piplup cried and then proceeded to try and peck my gay friend for his "rudeness".

"Alright, Piplup, that's enough," I chuckled after a few seconds had passed. Brendan gave me a look telling me he thought I took too long. "He doesn't mean it."

"I'll help you two out," Brock offered. "We'll have it done in no time." Ash and Barry cheered.

"Well, someone get me when lunch is ready," I voiced. "I'm going outside."

Everyone looked at me with curious gazes. Except Paul. I think he had a pretty good idea what I wanted to do.

"Why?" Ash asked.

"How else am I supposed to prepare for Cynthia?" I pointed out. Normally, I would say the Elite Four Run in general, but the blonde Champion was of more concern this time around.

"Isn't that what tomorrow is for, though?" Dawn countered.

"One day is _not_ enough to face off against Cynthia," I argued.

"Well, we can help!" Ash insisted. "You don't have to train alone!"

"Then come with us," Paul replied, already deciding to join whether I wanted him to or not... Not to say I _didn't_ want him there. "Unless you think three cooks won't get your food out fast enough."

Ash frowned in annoyance for a second before looking very excited. "Haley, can I?" he pleaded.

"Me too, me too!" Barry enthusiastically added.

I laughed. "With that enthusiasm, how can I refuse?" They cheered again. "Brendan, do you want to join us?" I offered.

"I think I'll study up on the Sinnoh Battle Tower," he denied. "Besides, if I know you like I do, you'll have me wake you up early tomorrow anyway."

"How early is 'early'?" Paul questioned, and I turned my head to find that he was eyeing me suspiciously.

Well, guess there went my plan of asking Brendan to wake me up at four.

"Um... Five?" I suggested, unsure of the reaction I would get.

"An hour before what you usually want me to do?" Brendan clarified, slightly shocked. "Jeez, Haley, one of these days you're going to kill both of us."

I rolled my eyes, lowering my guard as I commented, "You're exaggerating."

"Knowing you probably want to go until midnight, I don't think he is," Paul brought up in a stern voice. Oh, I was _so_ losing this argument. "Change it, six to ten."

"That's not nearly enough time!" I tried to argue, knowing it wouldn't work.

"Sixteen hours," he stated.

"That isn't long at all!"

Why was I continuing to ram my head into a brick wall?

Paul glared. "You'll burn yourself out, and then you'll lose for sure. _Six_ to _ten_. I'm not going to say it again."

Either my boyfriend somehow had a talk with my dad, or he somehow _became_ my dad.

Neither option was exactly pleasant to think about.

"Alright, alright, six to ten," I conceded, not wanting the mental image of Paul and Dad conspiring with each other. It'll happen, too, I know it will; they'll probably be the type of pair who can speak to each other without words.

Just to further prove my point that my boyfriend and dad would be best friends, Paul smirked triumphantly, like Dad would do whenever he finally broke down my stubborn walls. Then he turned and began to make his way to the door, Ash and Barry eagerly following. I sighed and saluted the other four before catching up with the three boys.

"Alright, so who goes first?" Ash asked excitedly when we got to the open field.

"Well, I figured Empoleon should go first," I voiced. "Since he's going up against Garchomp, I should get started on him as quickly as possible. Problem is, we don't have anyone as strong as Garchomp."

"Oo, oo, I do!" Barry called out.

"No offense, Barry, but I don't think your Empoleon will make the cut," I stated.

"First, you don't know that!" he argued. I have a feeling Paul did indeed huff like I thought I heard him do. "Second, that wasn't who I was talking about."

Ash made a noise of intrigue. "Then who?" he encouraged.

Barry did that cackle-like chuckle; I think I'll dub it the chackle. "Feast your eyes," the blond hyped. "Let's get going, Salamance!"

Alright, I'll admit, that's pretty impressive.

My other training partners were equally impressed, or maybe even more so. Their eyes were completely wide as they stared at Barry's surprise team member, and I'm sure Paul was wondering why he had it hidden all this time.

"When did you get a Salamance?" Ash finally asked.

"In Hoenn last year," Barry chackled. "See, Dad has a Dragonite, and I wanted my own Dragon-Flying type, so I caught a Bagon. I was going to use him in the six-on-six battles if I made it." Salamance snorted.

"You could have used it against Paul, you know," I pointed out. "Would have thrown him for a loop."

"Whose side are you on?" Paul muttered.

"The side that wants you to have a fun challenge."

Paul tried to find a counter, but all he ended up saying was, "Touché."

I smiled before becoming serious. "Now, normally speaking, Salamance and Garchomp are pretty even when it comes to their strengths," I began, mostly directed at the Twinleaf Trainer. "Of course, this is _Cynthia's_ Garchomp we're talking about, so I don't think your Salamance is as strong."

"Hey!"

"However," I stressed, cutting Barry off before he got too offended, "it'll still give Empoleon a good feel for what Garchomp will be like." I smiled again. "So thanks, Barry; this'll help out a lot."

While Barry puffed his chest out proudly, I released Empoleon. At the same time, Paul brought out Electivire. "Garchomp has a lot of raw power," he explained. "I think Electivire will help."

"Plus, I always like an opportunity to punch Empoleon's face in," his Pokémon chuckled.

Empoleon glared, and I rolled my eyes. "Ash, you've got any Pokémon that can help out with speed?" I inquired.

"Pikachu, obviously," Ash replied, and his Electric type nodded with a smile. "And I think Sceptile is a good choice, too."

"Absolutely," I agreed. Then I looked at Empoleon. "That means you'll be taking on four Pokémon at once. Of course, taking on Garchomp is kind of like doing that anyway. Think you're up to it?"

He smirked. "I was hatched ready," he stated.

"That's the attitude I like to hear," I encouraged with a smirk of my own.

We worked on Empoleon's Defense, Special Attack, and Speed for a good hour or so. I was already shocked by Barry having a Salamance, but I was even more amazed by how well-trained he was. Unsurprisingly, he had an attitude, but Barry had control over him...kind of. It was that attitude of his that kept Barry from having complete control over the Dragon-Flying type, but hey, at least he _mostly_ had control over no control at all. And Salamance did help out a lot, controlled or not.

At some point, it was obvious all of our Pokémon were getting tired, and I decided to switch to working on Torterra since Milotic was the next big worry. Just as I was about to bring out my Grass-Ground type, Brock called out, "Lunch is ready!"

Ash and Barry immediately made a break for it, their Pokémon not far behind. But I didn't move, Torterra's Poké Ball still in my hand and ready to be thrown. Suddenly, I was yanked back by the back of the collar on my shirt and dragged towards the table.

"The only reason you should be releasing any of your Pokémon is so that they can get lunch, too," Paul enforced.

Electivire and Empoleon seemed amused. Me, not so much. "You're a pain in my ass," I grumbled.

"We can always arrange a way to where you aren't so annoyed about that pain."

I _know_ for a _fact_ I blushed harshly, and I was definitely scowling. "BRENDAN!" I shouted, thoroughly embarrassed. "What ideas have you been putting in his head?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied in a way that made him sound innocent and guilty at the same time.

Men are assholes.

At least lunch was nice. Brock was an _amazing_ cook, but I'm pretty sure that's as new as the sky is blue. Though I doubt many people know how good Dawn is at baking, or how she and Brandi make a damn good team when it comes to making sweets. I swear if Paul wasn't in love with me, he would have jumped at either one of them in that instant, probably Dawn since she was the head baker.

To his credit, Paul tried to hide his excitement, and he did a... _decent_ enough job.

Decent only goes so far with three girls, though.

"Wow, Paul, Haley wasn't kidding, you _really_ like sweets," Dawn giggled when he tried to sneak away his tenth cheesecake cup.

Paul practically choked on his water. "Wait, _you've_ been taking them?" Ash realized.

"They have been disappearing surprisingly fast," Barry mused.

"Haley, instant way to his heart," Brendan theorized. "Bake a literal lot of chocolate."

"Either that or dip yourself completely in it," Dawn laughed.

Both of them received Poké Balls to the forehead for their comments.

"Oh, come on, Paul, they're just joking," I assured as they rubbed the sore spots Paul's supplies had given them.

"Well, I'm certainly not laughing," he grumbled.

Brock chuckled. "Hey, it's always good to laugh at yourself," he advised. "Almost everyone I know makes fun of Ash for having twenty helpings in one sitting."

"When the food's good, I eat it!" Ash defended, looking kind of grumpy himself. Everyone laughed, and I think I saw a hint of a smile grow on Paul's face.

Once lunch was cleaned up, we started right where we had left off, and this time, with Torterra, I worked on his Attack and Special Defense. As we did, we barely paid attention to the last battle of the day, the one Tobias won no doubt.

Of course, I was right, and he came out to boast about it.

Okay, maybe that wasn't his intension, but it definitely felt like that when he walked over and smiled at me. There was this look in his eyes that I didn't like, but I couldn't exactly place my finger on it. And if you're asking me why I couldn't, well... You ever hear about those people who can control their heartbeat while they lie? Tobias is kind of like that, but with his emotions in his eyes.

"Working hard, I see?" he noted.

"Yeah, and?" I prompted, slightly untrustworthy.

Tobias smiled wider, which made everything more unsettling. "I just wanted to let you know I'm rooting for you in the Elite Four Run," he stated. "I'm sure it will be very interesting this year."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what game he was playing. "Any particular reason you feel that way?" I asked.

"It's not every day you witness a battle between one of the greatest Champions of all time and a Trainer from one of the top families of all time," Tobias pointed out, unfazed by my accusing undertones. Then he bowed. "I wish you the best of luck in your training."

_You'll need it,_ I swore I heard ring in the air as he walked away.

"Man, what a creep!" Brandi huffed after he disappeared.

"Hey, he can be sportsman-like," Ash brought up, obviously referring to how the man had complimented him after their battle.

But I had my suspicions about that, too, and I finally said something about it. "I don't know, Ash," I said. "I feel like he has a plan, and he's putting on a good face so people don't question him."

"Did you read that from him?" Brendan voiced, and Barry made a noise of confusion.

"I wish," I admitted. "This is all from gut feeling; I can't read him at all."

"Haley, keep on your toes," Paul immediately warned, once again proving to me how similar he and Dad were. I just hope Paul wouldn't go over the top like Dad tends to do sometimes. "He's definitely going to try something."

"Glad I'm not the only one thinking that," Brendan commented. "I hate being the only one paranoid."

We trained until sunset, getting more done with Torterra and a little bit with Umbreon before Dawn realized the closing ceremony would start soon. Ash and Barry were excited, but Paul just shrugged, and I could tell he was planning on skipping the whole thing. Ash seemed to catch on, too, so he began pestering my boyfriend about it. Soon everyone joined in, except Brock (hey, someone had to be the adult), and finally - probably to get us to shut the fuck up - he agreed. We cheered, and Paul looked like he was ready to shoot someone.

Night fell. Fireworks shot off as Tobias was given his trophy courtesy of Cynthia and Mr. Charles Goodshow (President of the Pokémon League, fyi). It was pretty standard, with final closing words and all, and I'm pretty sure Paul was bored out of his mind. Not that I could see him since he had buried himself deep into the crowd, but I like to think I know him well enough to predict his mood.

"Before you go, folks, we have one more surprise for you," the announcer called out, and I could see people perk up in wonder. "Mr. Goodshow, Tobias, if you may exit the stage."

They did, and in their place stood the Sinnoh Elite Four.

The crowd roared at their entrance, and it went on for about a minute before Cynthia raised her hand as a signal to stop. Soon it died down, and the Champion and the other four looked at me, all with smiles.

"Haley Paige Sedai!" Cynthia's voice rang loud and clear. I stood up, and people looked at me, wondering what this was about. "Tomorrow is a break day, but the day after, we expect to see you at the Sinnoh Elite Four Run!"

Being in the bleachers nearest to ground level, I jumped down onto the field and stared them all down, looking at most of them for the first time in person.

Aaron Knotz. Age: 23. Type: Bug. As the first member, a Bug type user, and the youngest (second youngest Elite Four overall), one would believe he was a complete pushover. Trust me, he's not. His Bug types are something fierce, and you'd be a fool to underestimate them.

Bertha Wayland. Age: 68. Type: Ground. Unlike her sister, Agatha of the Kanto Elite Four, Bertha isn't one to brag about her status. In fact, she hates being referred to as such. But that doesn't stop her from being a strong opponent, much like Agatha.

Flint Bryant. Age: 30. Type: Fire. They call him a hot shot (for pun purposes and not), and he calls everyone else one. An old friend and rival of Volkner's, Flint was almost the exact opposite of the calm, cool Electric type Gym Leader: wild and crazy, but just as sharp and powerful.

Lucian Tozer. Age: 42. Type: Psychic. The only Psychic type user who wasn't a Psychic himself. He studied ESP, though, along with other various subjects, which of course labeled him as the bookworm. As a result, Lucian was the most cunning and strategic of them all.

Well, besides maybe her. You know.

Cynthia Shirona. Age: 27. Type: Various.

Seriously, who _doesn't_ know her? Not only is she the youngest Champion currently and ever, but she only lost once. _Once_ in nine years and countless battles as Sinnoh's best. The victor - Lucas Diamond, father of Battle Tower regular Lucas Diamond Jr. - just barely won his battle against the newly crowned Champ, and he's _older_ than her.

Age means nothing; it's how hard you fight, what strategies you have, and how much will you've got.

It was going to take everything I had and then some in order to win this Run, but I wasn't walking away without a plaque; I was determined to win and not wait an extra month to be entered into the Hall of Fame, even if the odds were stacked against me.

"As your challenger, I promise to give it everything I've got!" I declared. My Pokémon released themselves, and they all had an aura of determination similar to mine. "My Pokémon and I have and will train hard for this Run, and we aren't walking away without a win!"

"Bet on it!" my team added.

There were smiles and smirks from all of them. "We look forward to it," they replied.

Once again the crowd roared, and we nodded. I was seemingly calm and confident.

But how much of that was actually true?

...

"Wakey, wakey," Brendan sang softly as he lightly slapped my cheek.

I moaned a little and whacked his hand away from my face. "The physical violence isn't needed," I told him as I sat up and stretched.

"Considering you're the last one up on the day you want to train, I think it is," he argued calmly.

" _WHAT?!_ " I shrieked, fully awake.

Unfortunately, Brendan had been joking, which resulted in Brandi springing up, completely disrupted from sleep. Her hair was more disheveled than usual, and her eyes were wide. Meanwhile, Paul actually crashed onto the floor in shock.

"Haley, seriously," he grumbled as he stood up.

"It's not my fault!" I defended.

"Really?" he questioned dryly. "I'm pretty sure that was _your_ voice I heard wake up half the complex."

"But Paul-"

"Unless someone can make a pretty good damn impression of you, that was you."

Brendan finally couldn't hold his laughter, and he tumbled onto the floor he was cracking up so bad. "Brendan, you're cruel," Brandi scolded. "You pranked Haley again, didn't you?"

"It gets better and better every year!" he laughed.

Thankfully, Paul wasn't as amused, and he stomped over to kick Brendan in the arm _hard_. "Take that, asshole," I mumbled before getting out of bed.

We got ready, and as we stepped into the hallway, Ash, Pikachu, and Barry arrived in a flash. I was surprised to see them, but they eagerly explained that they wanted to help, so they set their alarms early. Dawn, Piplup, and Brock followed behind them a minute or two later, the Coordinator and her Pokémon complained that it was Ash's fault they were up so early. Brock didn't seem to mind, saying he was fine making a nice, healthy breakfast, to which I'm pretty sure Paul sighed in relief.

Yeah... I was planning on skipping breakfast. Paul knows me too well.

Training was going rather smoothly despite my initial worry that eight cooks would be too many in the kitchen. Everyone had input but waited for their turn to speak, and I was given the final say. All of their Pokémon helped mine in whatever was needed most, and while a majority of training was focused on how to counter Cynthia, we factored in the other Elite Four members, too. Everything was going exactly as planned, and looked like I was going to get that full day of training I wanted.

Or... At least, that had been the case.

About an hour or two after lunch, Brandi and Dawn suddenly grabbed my shoulders, stopping my command for Sky Attack. I turned my head, and when I saw their eager grins I raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" I encouraged when they didn't say anything.

"The boys can take it from here!" Brandi declared.

"We're taking you shopping!" Dawn exclaimed.

"That's right!" Piplup chirped.

I stared at them for a few seconds before turning my head back around to look at Staraptor. "Training is more important than whatever you guys have up your sleeves," I denied. Right before I called out another attack, the two gripped my shoulders tighter and began to drag me away. "Hey, what are you doing?! Brandi, Dawn, let me go!" I tried to struggle, but it was like their hands were suddenly made with iron. "Ash, vouch for me!"

"Well, I mean, maybe it's important," Ash pointed out, sounding slightly frightened, as if the girls would rip his head off if he tried to argue.

"But Ash-"

"Haley, you know how stubborn they can be, just go with it," Paul advised, looking annoyed. As if he had a right to be.

Not only was I being dragged away from training, but my own boyfriend was arguing against me! Jerk.

Handsome jerk, mind you, but still a jerk.

"Fine, whatever," I huffed, miffed. "Can you at least let me walk on my own?" My friends let go, and as I turned around, I could have sworn I saw Paul smirk a little.

Unless I was mistaken, I had to wonder: why was Paul smirking?

"Okay, so, what are we shopping for?" I asked when we got into town.

All three of them looked at me, smiling gleefully. "Your date with Paul tonight!" they revealed.

For a long time, I said nothing, completely baffled. "What?" I finally questioned.

"You guys started dating two days ago, but you haven't gone on a date yet," Dawn explained.

"And tonight's the perfect night for your first!" Brandi added.

" _What_?!" I repeated. "Tonight is _far_ from perfect! I have an Elite Four Run tomorrow in case you forgot!"

"But that's _why_ it's perfect!" my best friend argued, successfully confusing me. "You're super stressed out whether you realize it or not, so a date with your amazingly cute boyfriend is going to help relieve some of it!"

I opened my mouth to argue, but then I thought against it. Brandi was setting something up for Paul and I, and this time it was just for us. After all my unnecessary jealous internal screaming, how could I deny her kindness, especially when I didn't deserve it?

"Alright," I agreed.

Brandi squealed. "Don't worry, we'll find you the best dress you've ever seen!" she proclaimed.

By the time I finish Sinnoh, I'm going to be up to my eyeballs in dresses. Mom's either going to flip or celebrate. Quite possibly both.

With my reluctant yet guilt-charged approval, we made our way to the dress store. Usually, I'm a bit exasperated when it comes to clothes shopping, and from what I experienced in Soldaster Town, with Dawn it's even worse. Now?

Intimidated is a good word.

But why? It was just a stupid dress. I could literally wear _anything_ and I don't think Paul would care. Though, maybe it was because of Paul that I wanted _the_ best dress I could find.

So, how to go about that...

Your guess is as good as mine.

"That's what we're here for!" Dawn assured, snapping me out of my thoughts.

And confusing me. Again.

"It was kind of written on your face," Brandi brought up, responding to my confusion.

"Oh." I sighed. "It's just, I want it to be nice as possible, but I couldn't even think of where to begin."

"Don't worry about a thing!" Piplup declared before jumping onto the rack in front of us. He put his fin on his chest as he puffed it out with pride, an equally prideful look on his face. "I will find the perfect dress for you!"

" _You'll_ find a dress, Piplup?" Dawn asked, guessing what he said by his gestures. That, and he is _her_ Pokémon. Then she smiled teasingly. "That seems like a pretty tall order."

"I can do it!" he defended. "You'll see!" Then he looked directly at me. "You're going to love it, and Paul will, too!"

"You really think he will?" I questioned.

"Of course Paul will! Paul loves you, so he'll love anything you're in." The Penguin Pokémon looked very determined. "But I won't find just anything. By the time we leave, we'll find something that'll make him say you're the most beautiful girl in the whole world! ...Next to Dawn."

I didn't really hear his compliment towards his Trainer; all I could think was Paul giving me _his_ compliments, and I felt my face heat up. "What did Piplup say?" Brandi inquired.

"Um... W-well..." After many seconds, I finally told them, and they awed.

"Piplup's right!" Dawn agreed, boosting her friend's pride even further. "We'll find the perfect one here, guaranteed!"

_As long as you don't say, "No need to worry",_ I added in my head.

We searched around, and at some point Dawn and Piplup decided Brandi and I should look for accessories instead of dresses. Not that we were bad, but it seemed that the duo was on a mission. So while they went to find "that" dress, Brandi led me to hair pins.

"This one!" she exclaimed as she held up a white rose pin a little smaller than my palm. Then she frowned. "No, too wedding-like. But I'll keep it in mind for later!" I blushed at what "later" meant. She looked at the other colors. "Black! No, your hair's black. Gold! No, doesn't look all that great. Blue! No, it just doesn't seem right. Um... Red! No, you always wear red."

"Brandi," I piped up. She looked at me. "Why are you doing this?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Uh, cuz you're my bestie, _duh_!" she answered.

"Well, I guess-"

"Guess?" she interrupted, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance. "Haley, what are you talking about?"

I looked at the floor. "I... I didn't want you here," I whispered so softly I figured she didn't catch it.

"Didn't want me here?"

Apparently she had. "I mean, you got Paul to laugh and smile on your first try, so I got jealous, but I'm terrible for thinking that because you're my best friend, and I-"

Suddenly, I was yanked forward, staring directly at the collection of rose pins. "Tell me, which one do you think Paul will like?" Brandi asked.

Crisp blue, shimmering gold, pristine white, midnight black, ruby red... "Paul wouldn't care which one is in my hair," I stated.

"Exactly!" she replied. "I couldn't do that no matter how hard I tried. It's like Piplup said: Paul loves you, and only you. So how about you quit talking stupid and pick something!"

Just like that, all the guilt I had melted away. Brandi didn't care that I had been jealous, and to be honest, I should have expected that. She was always the one who said a little bit of jealousy was good. So, I smiled. "Right."

"Ladies." We looked to see an employee. "Is there something I can help you with?"

I looked at the rose pins and noticed a color was advertised but not featured. Smiling bigger, I looked back at the women. "Might you have a lilac rose in the back?"

...

Fiddling with the gold hem of the white dress, I walked through town to where Brandi and Dawn had told me to go. By now the stars were out, and not as many people were, which I was grateful for. The last thing I need was cat calls as I made my way to the restaurant.

The dress Dawn and Piplup picked had been perfect. So perfect, in fact, I couldn't see what it looked like until an hour before. I was allowed to train until then, but after another hour or so, the girls yanked me away again. Then, I was blindfolded, and Brandi stripped me down to my underwear.

Thank goodness we had done this since we were kids, because I probably would have made a boot to the head otherwise.

Then the dress was slipped on, and while Dawn did my hair, I was allowed to observe. It really was perfect, being completely void of anything super frilly and extremely soft. It was a plain white with an inch gold hem, and it went down to just a bit above my knees with a two-inch strap that crossed around my neck.

By the time I was done admiring, Dawn had finished my hair. Half of it was up in a high ponytail, and the other was down, curled at the bottom. To top it off, the lilac rose pin clipped my bangs to the left side, making sure all of my hair was completely out of my face.

"Haley, you. Look. AMAZING!" Brandi squealed as I stepped into my black flats.

"Um... Th-thanks," I stuttered, slipping on my bracelet.

"You do!" Dawn insisted. "I mean, I wish you didn't have to wear your glove, but beggars can't be choosers. Now go, GO!"

"Okay, okay, jeez," I sighed, rushing out the door.

As I walked, Butterfrees sprouted in my stomach, and I gulped. Was I really this nervous? It seemed so stupid to be so, considering I was dating the guy I had come to know over the past year. Probably the dating thing, though.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

_Finally!_ I cried when I reached the place. Opening the door, I found Paul waiting for me...

Okay, show of hands, who would have guessed Paul would look _really_ hot in a waistcoat?

Because I sure didn't.

But _damn_ was I wrong.

Like, seriously, just- Okay, okay, I'll stop squealing internally. Sorry, lost myself.

So, besides the dark gray waistcoat, Paul was wearing a white long sleeve button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, light gray pants, and...

Brown dress shoes.

Paul was wearing dress-

No, I promised I wouldn't squeal anymore.

Until, you know, he put on this charming smile and, with a hand held out, asked, "Ready, my dear?"

Sorry but I can't hold it oh my gosh what just happened that was so cute and handsome and-

"I-I think so," I barely managed.

His smile widened, a knowing twinkle in his eyes, and I was too stunned by his gentlemen-like performance to give even the slightest of shits. I took his hand, and he gently gripped it before guiding me upstairs. There was no one else on the second floor, which surprised me considering how dazzling it was. Everyone must have fought every night to get a spot up here, and there was no one.

"How did we get the whole floor?" I wondered aloud.

"Cynthia pulled a few strings," he answered.

I looked at him, and he was definitely telling the truth, but there was something in his eyes that told me there was more to the story. Deeming it unimportant, I smiled. "Guess we'll have to thank her later," I stated.

He nodded, and then he led me to my seat. Probably the only thing that prevented him from actually sitting me down was that we were in a booth, which I was both grateful for and saddened by. When Paul sat down, I couldn't hold my question in any longer. "Who and how managed to get you in a waistcoat?"

"Take a wild guess," Paul replied, sitting across from me.

It didn't take long to think of someone. "Dawn?" I guessed.

"The only thing that prevented Troublesome from putting gel in my hair was how troublesome _it_ was," he said.

I giggled. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I think you look great," I complimented.

"Great?" Paul repeated with a smirk. "That face you had on screamed more than 'great'."

How right he was, and I blushed because of it.

"Of course, I kind of figured that would be the case," he continued with a hint of smugness. "Tis a curse sometimes, being able to predict what'll happen, even if it's been a day."

That made my blush worse before something occurred to me. "Wait... _You_ planned this?" I realized.

"Do you _actually_ think I'd leave our first date up to anyone else _but_ me?" he confirmed nonchalantly.

My mouth flew open in amazement of how not only had he gone completely unnoticed by anyone and especially me, but how he had _willingly_ put himself in something fancy. "Why?" I asked.

"Well, why do you think?"

Now my heart skipped a beat, maybe even two. Paul had gone through all the trouble and even put himself in something he'd rather not touch ever... Just for me. "Paul... You didn't..."

Immediately, his hand was over my bare one, and he began to gently brush my knuckles. I looked at him to find a loving smile, and I couldn't help but smile back.

Soon the waiter came, and we ordered. Well, Paul ordered. He seriously knew everything I liked; to think he had paid that much attention. When the man left, I looked back to Paul. "So... What exactly are we supposed to do?" I questioned. "I mean, at this point, we know almost everything about each other."

He looked at the ceiling, trying to think of something. "Tell me..." He hummed. "Tell me about your dad."

"I haven't really talked about him much, have I?" I noted. "Um, well..." I thought about how best to describe him, and then I smiled. "Well, he's kind of like you. A less callous, bitter you."

"Very funny," he grumbled.

I giggled again. "But seriously, he's quiet and serious," I described. "He's kind of intimidating, but he's really nice and kind. Sometimes he's a bit overprotective of me-"

"Oh God," Paul whispered.

"Don't worry," I laughed. "Dad isn't the guy who will shoot you just because you're dating me in the first place. Honestly, I think you two will get along really well." Then I sighed. "And I still don't know if that comforts or scares me."

"Why, you afraid we'll plot your demise?"

"Seriously, how did you and my dad get in contact?"

Now Paul laughed, and I let a tiny chuckle slip out. Right after, our drinks and appetizers came out, and damn did Paul make some good choices. We ate in silence for a bit, and then I realized Paul hadn't talked about his dad.

"What about yours?" I asked.

Paul froze, and there was this mixture of hurt, fear, and anger in his eyes. I recoiled.

"I-I'm sorry, Paul! I didn't-"

"It's okay," he assured. "I didn't mean to make you feel like you did something wrong. It's just... My dad and I aren't on...good terms."

"Oh." I was a little dishearten that I wasn't allowed to hear why, but I saw no reason in forcing him to speak about a clearly sore subject. Not until he was ready.

"Haley, I trust you," Paul proclaimed with confidence and reassurance, even taking my hand in both of his to emphasize. "I trust you with just about anything, like Reggie. And I'll tell you one day, I promise, but..."

"I understand," I said. He nodded, and it fell quiet for a while. "Are...he and Reggie not on good terms, either?"

"I'd say they're worse," he admitted. "And it's sad, because I barely know anyone Reggie hates, not to mention they were apparently close at one point."

That made me feel even worse; it was only Paul's hands around mine that prevented me from berating myself. "Is there anything else we can talk about?" I brought up, deciding to switch subjects.

Again, he thought, and his somber face turned into a bright smile. "Did I ever tell you about the time Reggie left me alone with a homemade chocolate cake in the fridge when I was seven?"

I burst out laughing. "Disaster?" I guessed.

"Understatement."

We finished off our appetizers and continued to wait for our main dishes, bouncing off childhood stories we never had the time to tell. Paul had a hard time digging for good ones, but the ones he dug up were too good for us to care that he only had a few. Meanwhile, I had tons, and I could tell some of my stories about Josh got him a little jealous. But just a little.

"Excuse me, may we join in?"

We turned to find Cynthia-

ARGH, what is with Paul's family looking absolutely stunning in formal wear?!

The Champion was wearing a strapless dress that flowed all the way past her feet. The top half was black with a slit that just barely began to show her chest, and the bottom half was a light turquoise. Where the black and turquoise met was a thick diamond belt, and for all I knew they were actually real.

But that wasn't the most stunning thing about Cynthia.

How about the fact that she was wearing her hair up in a high ponytail and all of her thick, long light blonde hair was out of her face, showing off her beautiful gray eyes.

Gosh, she's so pretty. Honestly, I was jealous... Still kind of am.

"Haley, would you mind?" Paul asked, snapping me out of my admiring.

"No, not all," I agreed. Cynthia smiled as Paul left his seat to sit next to me. "But Cynthia, why did you say, 'we'?"

"Well, usually it means more than one person."

No way...

"Lance!" I exclaimed, beaming as he approached the table. He was wearing a simple tuxedo outfit with the jacket open. I'll admit, he was quite dashing.

Not as much as Steven. Seriously, he _rocks_ a tux.

"It's great to see you again, Haley," he greeted, smiling.

"Yeah! Are you here to watch my Run?"

"Of course," Cynthia answered as Lance slid into the booth, the Sinnoh Champ following him. "I asked him to be here."

"Any particular reason?" I questioned.

"It's not every day I get to watch a battle between one of my greatest challengers and my girlfriend."

Paul choked on his water. I don't blame him.

"How the hell is this not all over the news?" I squeaked.

"You'll be surprised how easy you can keep secrets from the media," Cynthia giggled.

_How lucky you are,_ I thought, the only thing going through my brain was how impossible that seemed.

At the moment, I guess it didn't matter, especially since food had arrived. The champions got food, too, so I figured they had called in an order or something. Turns out I was right.

"You two would have probably been almost done with dessert by the time Cynthia picked what she wanted to eat," Lance commented. Paul and I stared at him in confusion while Cynthia froze mid-bite. "When it comes to pretty much everything - especially battling - she'll decide in a heartbeat. Food, on the other hand..."

"Oh, don't worry," I assured, and I could feel Paul's glare, telling me I better not say what I was about to. Of course, I didn't listen. "Paul takes next to forever deciding which sweet he wants to devour next."

Lance laughed, and Paul growled lowly in embarrassment. "That's about the biggest exaggeration I've ever heard," he stated.

"I'm joking, Paul," I replied, kissing his cheek, which _always_ succeeded at making him feel better. "Just like Lance is."

"Yeah, he sure is," Cynthia piped up a little too sugary, and while Lance continued to laugh, there was now a pained look in his dark brown eyes.

Whatever Cynthia was doing under the table (not that I would _ever_ want to find out just in case...), it wasn't the most pleasant thing the Johto Champion had experienced.

"Speaking of battling," the woman continued, going to a more serious tone and ceasing her torture, "Haley. I know you're nervous, but I want you to know something." She smiled softly. "As long as you battle with everything you've got, I'll thoroughly enjoy our battle, no matter the outcome."

"She's right, Haley," Lance agreed. "You are an incredible battler, and I should know. You've grown since our battle in Johto, though, so I expect something fierce tomorrow."

I was speechless at the compliments and reassurance coming from the power couple, and after about a minute, I smiled and nodded. "Thank you," I said. "Your words mean a lot."

We ate our main course, talking about whatever came to mind. I did notice Paul didn't talk too much, but no one cared, not even me. He was definitely engaged, and if he was asked something, he answered it, and none of them were one-worded. Not unless it was the only way to answer.

When we ordered dessert, Lance and I took over, gaining an unamused look from Paul and an embarrassed one from Cynthia. But hey, at least we knew them well enough to get exactly what they wanted, so they couldn't exactly complain. I tried to sneak away a bite Paul's cheesecake, but when I went to do it, he grabbed my wrist. We stared at each other for a few seconds before he smiled.

"You know, there's a thing called asking," he stated.

I continued to stare until I smiled back and quickly swiped the bite I was after. "It's more fun this way," I giggled.

That prompted that really scary smirk he wears whenever he has a plan. "I can think of a fun way to get it back if you dare to eat it," he chuckled darkly.

Brendan and I were having a _long_ talk when I got back.

"U-um... Paul, may I have a bite?" I asked, blushing.

Paul smirked widened, and I gulped a bit. "Next time," he promised before letting my wrist go, a suggestive gleam in his eye.

A _very_ long talk.

The two of us finished before the champions, but I feel like they let us, because Cynthia smiled knowingly at us and said, "Sorry to butt into your date. Go enjoy the rest of the night."

"Thank you," I replied as Paul slid out. "It really was nice talking to you."

"Same," Lance agreed. "Good luck, Haley. You'll do fine."

I smiled before quickly catching up to my boyfriend, who - judging from his pace - he had a destination in mind. Wherever it was, he didn't tell me, and I didn't ask. So for a while, we just walked in peaceful silence, listening to the distance sounds of the ocean and enjoying the light summer night breeze. At some point, Paul gently grabbed my hand, and I beamed, feeling like a kid on their birthday.

Soon, the area became recognizable, and I noticed it was the lookout at the end of the stairs. But this time, the stars were in the sky, reflecting off the water and sea foam. We hadn't paid attention to the nighttime scenery two nights before because... I blushed slightly at the memory. And it became worse when Paul hugged me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. I took a small breath and relaxed into his hold, and we stood in silence.

"Haley," Paul voiced after a few minutes. "Close your eyes."

Curious, I closed my eyes, and after a few seconds, I felt something slightly cold hit my chest and go around my neck. My eyes snapped open as I looked down, and I inhaled.

"Paul..." I breathed, studying the emerald around my neck on a silver chain.

"Happy Birthday."

I spun around to find him smiling softly, and my chest tightened with realization.

_I'll find a way to make it up to you._

And he had. No contest.

For what felt like hours, I couldn't find words. I thought over the entire night, and to me... It just felt like...

"I'm almost afraid," I whispered, "that I'll wake up in a romance novel."

"That was the intended effect, yes," Paul revealed. I gave him a slightly confused yet wondrous look. "I wanted you to remember tonight, even if it meant being a little high on expectations."

He did all of this to make me happy, and I smiled, probably looking like a schoolgirl on prom night. "I will, definitely," I promised.

"Good." He hugged me tighter. "And you will win tomorrow. I know you will."

The night before, there had been just the slightest bit of doubtfulness. Now...

In my boyfriend's arms, I felt like I could do anything.

"Yeah," I agreed softly.

When those words left my lips, Paul kissed me under the stars, and I was too happy to care that we were probably being cliché once again.


	51. Round 1, Haley vs. Aaron

**A/N: Guys, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.**

**There are no amount of words that could say how sorry I am. Last year I was dealing with low motivation leaning towards depression that actually halted me from writing all together. Then, when I finally got some help, I had major writer's block for this story. And _then_ for the past week my editor has been _extremely_ busy so she couldn't get to editing this until now. And on top of all of that this will be a short chapter because no matter how I try Aaron just isn't tough enough for me to stretch this out any longer than it is.**

**I'm extremely sorry.**

**But I'm back, and I guess that's all that matters. I'll try and be faster, I promise, but I also want to focus on school. Please just bare with me. I won't leave this story until it's done, I promise.**

* * *

"Welcome to the Elite Four Run, Haley!" Aaron greeted with a broad smile as I walked into his jungle-like room. "It's good to meet you."

"You as well," I replied.

Aaron nodded. "Now, I have a feeling you already know quite a bit about me, but introductions are a standard with the Elite Four," he stated.

"I've been in three Runs before," I reminded. "I know how you guys like to hype yourselves up."

He laughed. "That's a good way to put it," the Elite Four member commented. "Well, I'm a huge fan of bug Pokémon. They're nasty-mean, and yet beautiful, too. But most importantly, they can be quite powerful. You'd be unwise to underestimate us."

"I have a friend in Snowpoint who has some pretty powerful Bug types himself; I know firsthand not to undermine their power," I agreed, ready to grab my first Poké Ball.

"Good, then let me take you on!" Aaron declared excitedly. "Beautifly, you're the star!"

With the Butterfly Pokémon out on the field, I had to wonder how many people were watching. I knew my friends were (in the main stadium like I told them, since that place would no doubt become _packed_ ), and I had a fairly good hunch my family was glued to the TV. Most people weren't interested in the first four battles for whatever reason.

But I would try my best to make it interesting for those watching.

"Luxray, battle stance!" I shouted, releasing my Electric type, and Beautifly flinched thanks to Intimidate.

Originally, Luxray was supposed to go up against Yanmega, but it seemed Aaron wasn't going with it. At least, not at the moment. There was a chance he would use it later.

"Before we battle, I've gotta go over the rules," Aaron announced. "I know, it's boring and redundant, but it's procedure." I nodded. "Kay, you've gotta make it past me and the other three members to reach Cynthia, and there are no Pokémon Center breaks. You get one chance to have a 20-minute break, so use it wisely. You're able to use all of your Pokémon, too, unless they faint, in which case you'll have to wait for that break. Until Cynthia, you're the only one allowed to substitute Pokémon." I nodded again. "Good! Now, challenger goes first."

"Alright then," I accepted. Before I made my move, I thought about what it should be.

Beautifly was fast and powerful with Special Attacks but quite frail, especially in Defense. My best option would be Thunder Fang, though Luxray would have to avoid being hit.

"Okay, Luxray, use Thunder Fang!" I ordered.

She made her fangs course with electricity before taking off at blinding speeds, but Aaron was just as quick. "Whirlwind!" he commanded.

Neither of us expected the gust to be so strong, but it was, forcing Luxray to brace herself rather than run. "Don't lose your concentration!" I encouraged. "Channel that electricity into a Thunderbolt!" Luxray moved the electricity evenly throughout her body and then fired, fighting against the harsh winds.

But Aaron had different plans for her. "Beautifly, use Bug Buzz!" he ordered. His Pokémon rapidly beat his wings again, though this time the vibration made a loud noise, and Luxray came to a complete stop this time to flattened her ears. And I wasn't fairing much better, either. Ugh, stupid sensitive hearing. "Nice job! Now, use Energy Ball!"

Beautifly charged up a ball of greenish-blue energy and fired it at Luxray. Thinking fast, I shouted, "Iron Tail, Luxray! Send it right back!"

Quickly shaking off the previous attack, Luxray made her tail glow silver and spun around. With a power swipe of her tail, she sent the attack right back at Beautifly, and it connected. Even if Energy Ball didn't do all that much, it dazed Beautifly long enough for us to make our next move.

"Alright, Luxray, let's finish what we started," I chuckled. "Use Thunder Fang!" Once again, her fangs were filled with electricity, and she quickly sprinted over to the Bug-Flying type to chomp down. Beautifly cried out before falling to the floor, fainted.

"Ah, Beautifly!" Aaron cried out. Then he took out its Poké Ball and beamed him back in. He smiled and muttered something before putting the Poké Ball back on his belt. "Not bad, Haley. That was some quick thinking. But don't think this is over; your first Pokémon League victory won't come easily."

"Yeah," I agreed as I brought Luxray back, "but even if it's not over yet, I'm still gonna win."

"That's the attitude I like to hear!" he agreed. "Alright, Heracross, you're the star!"

Heracross took his place on the field, and I went for Staraptor's Poké Ball. Unexciting, I know, but practical. "Staraptor, battle stance!" She appeared in a flash of light and stretched out her feathers with a determined cry. Like Beautifly before him, Heracross flinched because of my Flying type's ability, but that didn't mean Heracross couldn't and wouldn't be dangerous. "Remember to watch out for Stone Edge. That's taken out all sorts of powerful Flying types."

"I paid attention to the challenger with the Altaria," Staraptor replied. "I know what Heracross can do."

I nodded. "Seems like you're quite the studious one, Haley," Aaron noted.

"In my household, you either learn to study or you get a very painful slap on the wrist," I grumbled. Then I remembered that Mom was probably watching, and if I didn't say something I would no doubt get punished. "Hi Mom! I love you, I swear!"

Aaron laughed. "Yeah, I had an uncle like that," he commented. "So, if you don't mind, I'd like to take the first turn. It's not like you don't know what I'm going to do."

"Well, it could be anything," I countered. "For all I know you could be throwing me for a loop."

"Very true. Very true indeed. Heracross, use Night Slash!" His claws glowed purple as he charged right for Staraptor.

"Fly up!" My Flying type spread her wings and flew into the air, dodging Heracross' swipe. "Good! Now charge up a Sky Attack!"

The Elite Four member scowled as Staraptor began to glow. "Heracross, make sure that doesn't happen!" he shouted. "Use Stone Edge!"

A ring of stones formed around the Single Horn Pokémon. "Don't worry, Staraptor!" I encouraged. "Just dodge those rocks and then head straight for it!"

Staraptor nodded before she began flying through the stones as they whizzed by. Heracross didn't stop firing, and because of his persistence, Staraptor almost got her left wing nicked by one of them. But she never stopped, either, and that prompted our opponent to dodge right before Sky Attack landed. I grunted, and Aaron laughed.

"You think I would let you win that easily?" he taunted. "Please. I know what'll happen when Staraptor lands a hit. So I'm taking measures to make sure it never will."

"Trust me, Aaron, I'm not letting Heracross get away," I threatened.

"Show me, then," the Elite Four member challenged. "Heracross, use Night Slash again!"

When Heracross used the Dark type move this time, he was much faster than before. Anything I said would have been cut off by Staraptor getting nailed. Luckily, Staraptor had an idea of her own, and she dodged right before the vicious swipe landed, a trail of white light following her as she landed in front of me.

"That was Agility," I realized in surprise. Then I smirked. "Nice going, Staraptor."

She beamed. "Thanks," she replied. "I wasn't thinking I could pull it off, but I'm glad I did."

"So am I," I agreed as I smirked even wider. "Because now there's no way Heracross can dodge your Aerial Ace."

"Aerial Ace?" Aaron repeated, clearly nervous and agitated.

"That's right! Staraptor, finish Heracross off!"

"You got it!" she responded before spreading her wings. Then she took off, becoming nothing but a blur as she slammed into the Bug-Fighting type. He flew back and landed hard on the ground with swirls in his eyes.

Aaron stared at his fallen Pokémon with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Then he smiled and returned Heracross. "Well, well, well. You've got luck and skill on your side," he noted. "But don't think you can rely on that for the rest of our battle. Drapion, you're the star!"

Drapion had Ice Fang.

At least, that was my assumption.

It would make sense, since Drapion's only weakness was Ground type moves, and it would be a great counter. But it wouldn't be good for us, especially since Torterra was going up against it.

Still, I was going to take my chance.

I returned Staraptor after congratulating her on a job well done and sent out Torterra. "Be careful," I cautioned. "Keep your guard up, and don't back down." He nodded.

Our opponent didn't waste any time as he ordered, "Ice Fang!"

That move wasn't surprising.

What was surprising was how fast Drapion was.

Torterra barely had time to brace himself as the Poison-Dark type clamped down on him with its icy blue pincers. My Pokémon let out a cry of pain, and while I grunted Aaron smirked. "Don't let up, Drapion! Use Aerial Ace!"

Wow, Drapion was just _designed_ to counter a Torterra. It probably had X-Scissor and Cross Poison, too, for all I knew.

"Torterra, counter with Rock Slide!" I quickly commanded.

Just as I spoke, Torterra created the boulders and had them drop on the Pokémon in front of him. Sure, he got hurt just a bit as well, but he succeeded in getting Drapion off and away from him.

"Perfect!" I complimented. "Now use Earthquake!"

With little time to pull it off since Drapion was getting back to its feet, Torterra barely pulled up to stomp the ground, sending shockwaves throughout the arena. The Poison-Dark type crashed back to the ground and felt the full force of the attack, leaving its left pincer underneath its body and looking out of commission.

But Aaron wasn't fazed by his Pokémon's handicap. "Drapion, use Cross Poison!" he shouted.

Called it.

And unfortunately, Aaron had trained Drapion to use the Poison type move in an interesting way. Instead of using its front pincers, Drapion used its right pincer and tail to execute the move, forming more of a plus sign rather than a X.

_Well played, Aaron,_ I grunted.

"Torterra, duck out of the way!" I ordered.

He was mostly able to, making sure not to get hit by the complete impact, but he did get nicked on his front right ankle. I actually had to duck out of the way, too, and I heard the attack collide with the wall behind me. But I was more concerned with Torterra, hoping he wasn't poisoned. Most likely sensing my distress, he turned his head so I could look him in the eye.

"Don't worry," he assured. "It stings, but other than that I'm fine."

I breathed out a sigh and nodded. "Okay, but tell me if it ever gets worse," I instructed. He nodded back. "Good. Now finish this with Rock Slide!"

Torterra roared and created some more boulders before dropping them on Drapion. Since my Pokémon didn't have to worry about hurting himself this time, he didn't hold anything back, and Drapion took all of the boulders head on. So when the dust and rubble settled, it was revealed it had fainted.

The Elite Four member growled a little bit but then chuckled. I could tell he was getting more frustrated than he wanted to let on. Maybe he was quicker to anger than people realized. Then he returned Drapion and smiled, as if he wasn't losing his cool.

"Excellent job, Haley," he stated. "Your Torterra has a bit more mobility than I anticipated. Trust me when I say I wouldn't fall for any more of your tricks." _That's what everyone says,_ I thought, hiding a smirk. "Vespiquen, you're the star!"

Alright, smooth sailing.

Hopefully?

Maybe?

_...Please don't spam Heal Order like Whitney spammed Milk Drink,_ I pleaded.

"Empoleon, battle stance!" He appeared on the field, shaking out his fins and then nodded, saying he was ready to go. "Let's finish this quick! Use Surf!"

"Don't think it's gonna go by as fast as you hope," Aaron scolded as Empoleon summoned a large wave and propelled it towards Vespiquen. "Use Defend Order!"

I couldn't exactly see the move from behind the giant wall of water, but I did see a green glow come from where I had seen the Bug-Flying type. Surf crashed onto Vespiquen, and I was surprised that she was still standing. Apparently Defend Order helped out a lot.

"Nice job, Vespiquen!" Aaron praised. "Now use Heal Order!"

"Not on my watch!" I countered. "Empoleon, use Ice Beam!"

Unfortunately, by the time Ice Beam hit Vespiquen, she had already healed herself. And if she was anything like Whitney's Miltank, if I stayed at long range, the Beehive Pokémon would keep healing after every attack. So we would have to get in close fast and stay close. But Empoleon wasn't the fastest runner around, so I looked at the field, trying to think of a solution. As I studied it, I noticed all of the water left behind from Surf.

That was when a lightbulb went off in my head, and I smirked.

_"Have Empoleon and Weavile use Ice Beam on the field. That way Empoleon can catch up to Fantina's Ghost types no problem."_

And we were going to do it again.

"Alright, Empoleon, turn this place into your own personal skating rink!" I ordered.

"Now we're talking!" he snickered and fired an Ice Beam at the field, turning the thin layer of water into a thin layer of ice.

"So, you're trying to improve Empoleon's mobility," Aaron noted. "But if you're hoping it'll limit Vespiquen, you're wrong."

"Improving Empoleon's mobility, yes." I chuckled. "But who said anything about limiting?"

Aaron took a second to think, and then he caught on and grunted. "Vespiquen, destroy the ice with Power Gem, now!" he shouted.

"Oh, no you don't! Empoleon, counter with a close-range Bubblebeam!"

Empoleon immediately jumped onto the ice, sliding on his stomach to Vespiquen, who was charging up a large orange-yellow ball in her hands. She tried to crash it onto the field, but my Pokémon was quick enough to reach her and push the ball back, sending it smashing into her instead.

"No, Vespiquen!" Aaron grunted.

"Perfect!" I cheered. "Now dethrone this queen with one last Ice Beam!"

Vespiquen tried to use another Defend Order to lessen the damage, but once Empoleon was quick on the draw and was able to get in her face with a powerful Ice Beam.

Now we just had one more Pokémon to go, and we'd be off to the second Elite Four member.

_Phew... This is going a lot easier than expected,_ I thought.

"It's not over yet!" Aaron declared. "Even though I'm down to my last Pokémon, an Elite Four can't give up! Scizor, you're the star!"

There was only one Pokémon I would have ever thought to use in this situation.

"Infernape, battle stance!"

Both of our Pokémon took to the field, with Scizor using his wings to hover over the ice. Infernape, meanwhile, was having a bit of trouble staying on his feet and even his hands when he eventually fell on all fours. Aaron smirked and was about to say something, but Infernape shut him up by breathing a little bit of fire in front of him and then going into a one-fingered handstand.

Cocky showoff.

"Alright, you monkey, if you're gonna start out that way, you might as well make it useful and use Flame Wheel," I huffed.

"Loud and clear, Chief!" he sang as he waved back to me. I huffed again as he propelled himself into the air by putting his palm on the ground and springing himself up. Then he created the Flame Wheel and shot towards Scizor.

"Double Team!" Aaron commanded.

Suddenly, there were clones on the Bug-Steel type all over the arena, but luckily, I had a... _counter_.

Eh? _Eh?_

Look, it's been a few months and this battle is almost over, I'm trying to lighten the mood, okay?

"Use Flamethrower!" I ordered.

Not stopping his Flame Wheel, Infernape had the Flamethrower go all over the place. It was a variation of Counter Shield that Ash had actually used in his battle against Paul at Lake Acuity, and I had asked if he and his Infernape could show us how it was done.

Seriously, if Ash never uses Counter Shield again, I will punch him. It's literally one of the most useful skills _ever_.

One by one the clones were destroyed, and the real Scizor was finally fished out. He tried to escape, but Infernape was intent on getting him in one shot. So he charged after the Pincer Pokémon again with blinding speeds and hit him dead on. Scizor crashed onto the now water-free field, definitely looking like he was on his last legs. But he was determined to keep going and stood up, albeit shakily.

"That's good, Scizor," Aaron encouraged. "Now, use Quick Attack!"

I smirked. _Checkmate, Aaron._ "Infernape, counter with Mach Punch!"

Both of our Pokémon shot forward so fast they were blurs, and they collided in the middle of the field. But Scizor was at a huge disadvantage, and it didn't take long at all for him to get overpowered. He flew back and slammed onto the ground again, and this time he didn't get back up.

Scizor had fainted, meaning we had won our first Elite Four match.

Only three more to go.

Aaron growled but then stopped himself, took a deep breath and exhaled. Then he smiled as he returned his final Pokémon, saying encouraging words to the Ball before putting it back in his belt.

"You're something else, Haley," he stated. "I lost, even with the most beautiful and toughest of the bug Pokémon. We lost because I wasn't good enough." He looked upset for a second before he shook his head and slapped his cheeks, now a look of determination in his eyes. "That's it! Back to training camp! Let's hear it for me! No... That was wrong..." I laughed, and soon he was chuckling along with me.

"Anyway, go on to the next room!" he told me. "Three Trainers are waiting for you, and they're all tougher than me. Don't let your guard down until it's all over, understand?"

"You bet," I replied. "Thank you for a good match." He smiled and nodded, and with that I left.

Ready to take on Bertha for my second Elite Four win.


End file.
